


The Kingdom of Eternal Winter

by springberry



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M, Fantasy, Hope, Love, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-02-12 21:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 55,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21483304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springberry/pseuds/springberry
Summary: "It was a lovely day in spring, the flowers bloomed and a gentle breeze rustled the delicate leaves on the trees, when the queen died. The very same day, it started to snow, and after that, it never stopped.Over the years, people forgot what warmth was like, as the cold was so deep it pushed the memories of gentle and sunny days far away where nobody could find them.The prince had become numb, too. That was easier to bear than the loss and the pain, than the despair and the loneliness his mother's death had left behind."*Fairy tale AU*
Relationships: Four/Tris Prior
Comments: 25
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it's me again! I'm happy to be back with another Divergent story, this time a fairy tale AU. I decided to give you this first chapter as a little teaser now, cause I'm just excited to share this with you. Once I've written further ahead, I'm going to start posting on a weekly schedule, hopefully in December. Thanks to everyone who reads and for leaving kudos if you like this story. Love to hear from you in the comments. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Once upon a time there was a land blessed with everything its people could wish for. The summers were warm, yet not too hot, and the winters were mild, yet not too cold. The rain falling from the skies was enough to make plants grow and rivers flow while it never drowned the sun.

The land belonged to a king who lived in a castle on a single steep hill in the middle of the kingdom with his wife and his son. He reigned over his people with kindness, but showed little mercy against thieves and tramps or anyone else who tried to destroy the peace that had settled on these grounds many generations ago.

Around the castle, the land was plain and wide. From up there, the king could see the four roads that led from his stronghold to the four provinces that formed the main part of his kingdom.

To the North, there was the land of the Abnegation, where people led a simple life. They were humble and generous and used to share the little that they had with those who had even less.

To the East, there was the land of the Amity, where the air was humming with peace and harmony. Its people were joyous and open, and they used to sing the most appealing melodies and hum the most vivid tunes while they worked the land.

To the South, there was the land of the Erudite, where the wisdom of the kingdom was gathered and stored away in a library made of glass. For the people who lived there, this building was the center of their admiration, for it guarded a treasure that had been growing here for centuries, and that they contributed to with their hard work.

To the West, there was the land of the Candor, where truth was worth more than any amount of gold and silver. The faith in the purifying powers of honesty was their strongest belief, and they helped the king to look for dishonesty in the people he ruled over.

But all around these provinces ran a mountain range, high and difficult to access, that formed the fifth province called Dauntless, shaped like a ring around the entire kingdom. Only the bravest and the strongest possessed the expertise and the skill to walk the steep paths that led over swinging bridges or along narrow cliffs. They hunted the thieves and scoundrels that tried to hide in their mountains, and took them to the underground prison that lay below the king's castle.

They also guarded the kingdom from outside dangers. Nobody knew what was out there, for there was nothing but desert on the other side of the mountains. There were rumors and legends about frightening animals and terrifying monsters that haunted the desert and every once in a while tried to find their way into the peaceful grounds. But nobody could ever bring forth reliable evidence of their existence.

Right in between the Dauntless mountains and the desert ran a natural border. It was a chasm so deep and dark that one couldn't see down to its ground even if one stood right at the edge and looked straight down in the middle of the day. No ray of sunshine had ever touched the river that was rushing in the abyss, so it could only ever be heard by those who dared to set their feet close enough. Its waters were said to be jinxed, for the river had no source and no mouth. Some even doubted it existed at all and said the sound came from the souls of the dead crying down below in the eternal darkness of the chasm.

While the king held control over the four provinces around his castle, he could never be entirely sure about what was going on in the mountains. But since he and his dominion depended on the Dauntless soldiers, he had learned to live with the situation, and the collaboration between the five provinces had been good ever since the kingdom was founded.

The optimists used to say that they complemented each other, while the pessimists used to say that they depended too much on each other.

It was the king who tied them all together and took care of their unity, like his fathers and grandfathers had done before him, and like his son and grandsons would do after his time on the throne had passed.

Or so he thought. But little did he know that just like every song comes to an end, like every day is chased away by the night, the peace in his kingdom was meant to end.

It was a lovely day in spring, the flowers bloomed and a gentle breeze rustled the delicate leaves on the trees, when the queen died.

The very same day, it started to snow, and after that, it never stopped.

Over the years, people forgot what warmth was like, as the cold was so deep it pushed the memories of gentle and sunny days far away where nobody could find them.

Instead, the cold consumed their hearts, like it had obsessed the king's and his son's: Shaken with grief over the loss of their beloved wife and mother, people said, they had lost all love and hope, and that their laughter had died forever with the queen. The coldness of their hearts, people said, went so deep that even the strongest sun couldn't warm them up anymore. And so, people said, the sun had slipped away, defeated, to a warmer place, where it didn't have to be afraid of a never-ending winter's iciness.

* * *

_DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Divergent world nor the characters, they belong to Veronica Roth._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here comes the second chapter, and I'll try to update every Tuesday from now on. I hope you'll join Tris and Tobias on their fairytale journey. 
> 
> Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, may you have a pieceful time with your family and friends! ❤
> 
> Also, if you're looking for some fourtris Christmas fluff, you find a nice little short story on my profile page (sorry, not a new story though, it turns two today :-)).

One morning, the king was unable to leave his chamber. He felt sick, like he did on too many days lately. The everlasting cold was taking its tribute together with his age. He couldn't find the strength to get out of his bed, so he told the queen to join his son in the dining room for breakfast without him.

The queen did as she was told. She had secretly been waiting for an opportunity to dine alone with her stepson. She had watched him grow up after she had married the king shortly after his first wife had passed away, and he was now old enough to choose a woman for him to marry. She needed to persuade him that _that_ was what he needed to do in order to replace his father on the throne. Her husband's strength slowly turned into weakness. He wouldn't be able to reign his kingdom for much longer. She had asked for the wisest men and women from Erudite to examine him, but none of them had found a cause for his faltering power, other than the passing years. No medicine they brought him had cured his disease.

So this morning, the queen took her seat at the head of the long dining table while the king's seat opposite her remained vacant. The prince rose his eyebrows in surprise upon seeing his father's empty chair when he entered the dining room.

"Where's my father this morning?" he asked.

"He's unwell," the queen answered.

The prince didn't reply. He just took a deep breath and sat down on his usual seat at the long side of the table.

He didn't like his stepmother much. She was a coldhearted woman, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with her. It had been like this from the moment he had gotten to know her. His father had married her too fast for his liking. His mother's body had only been laid out in state in its glass coffin a short time before this woman appeared by the king's side and their wedding was announced.

Of course, he couldn't really remember that anymore. His memories of what he had felt before his father's second marriage had started to faint with the presence of his stepmother in the castle, and he had become numb. That was easier to bear than the loss and the pain, than the despair and the loneliness his mother's death had left behind.

He thought locking his feelings away inside him and turning cold and indifferent towards the world and the people around him had been his decision. He thought it had been the effect of losing the person whom he had loved the most and who had loved him the most, but it wasn't.

It wasn't a coincidence that his heart had cooled down after his father had remarried.

His stepmother had married the king for one reason, and for one reason only, and that reason wasn't love. The reason was power, for she longed to rule over the kingdom and all its provinces and all the people therein. She couldn't stand the idea of being nobody, so she made herself the new queen.

After being born in Erudite and studying what science had to offer, she had been living on her own for several years to study the darker side of what there was to know. After the queen's sudden death, she had sensed that the time was right to make a bid for power.

In the guise of a saleswoman trying to sell fruit, she went to visit the castle. The king heard that there was a woman offering the juiciest oranges, fragrant peaches and reddest apples people had ever seen someone sell this early in spring, so he asked to see her. Wicked as she was, she offered the king an apple to taste. She asked neither for money nor for any other sort of payment, stating it was an honor if the king would eat the fruit she had grown. So he ate it, and after that, he asked for a second apple. And after he had devoured that one, he demanded a third and asked the woman to stay and dine with him.

It wasn't something he would have done under normal circumstances, for he was still mourning the loss of his wife. But the apples dripping with a powerful potion that made him fall in love with the woman who had offered them to him changed his destiny, and along with his, that of his son and his entire kingdom.

Once settled in the castle and promised the king's hand, the future queen got to work and carried out the rest of her plan. She owned a bewitched mirror that she had gotten from darkness itself deep inside the dark forest. In exchange, she had offered it her heart, and it had hardened hers and turned it into glass instead.

Now the mirror was the most powerful thing she owned, or the pieces that were left of it, since it had burst. The biggest splinters she planted in the hearts of the king and his son while they were sleeping. It wasn't difficult to do with how deeply their hearts were still shaken from grief, and from then on out, father and son had started to change into whom they were now.

So, when this morning the queen sat down with the prince to have breakfast while the king was too weak to leave his bed, it was another step in her plan to gain full power over the kingdom. She waited until after the servants had filled their goblets and had placed their plates in front of them.

"Tobias, it's time for you to start looking for a wife. Your father is steadily loosing strength, and you'll have to be married to become the new king. It would be irresponsible to stay unmarried."

"You speak of my father as if he was already dead."

"I wouldn't dare to do that. I'm just saying that it might be wise for you to start looking for a girl who wants to become your wife. We could organize a ball and invite all the young ladies your age."

"I'm not interested in them. They mean nothing but trouble, and I don't want to give away what's left of my heart."

"You could at least try. Take a look at them. If not for your sake or mine, then do it for your father. He would love to see you getting married."

The queen pushed and pushed, well aware that she would only get him to contradict her more and more. All she wanted to do was to leave him with the impression that he was free to come to his own decisions. So she finally suggested a plan that she was sure would work out in her favor in the end, one way or another, and leave the prince with the strong conviction that there wasn't a single girl in the entire kingdom who was the right one for him. Either that, or he'd probably be dead.

"So we'll send all the girls who want to become your wife out on a mission through all five provinces. I will think of tasks they'll have to complete to show that they are worthy of your majesty. Only the one who manages to prove that she's noble enough would be eligible for becoming the queen at your side. If none of them meets the requirements, I will never mention the topic of marriage to you ever again."

Tobias looked at her, then sipped at his golden goblet and bit off a piece of his bread. He took some time to consider her offer. He wasn't interested in marriage. After all, he didn't know what love was like, and because of that, he couldn't imagine how it would feel to fall in love. He was convinced it would never happen to him. He didn't even _want_ it, out of fear it might make him too vulnerable and crush the remainder of his heart.

The prince didn't care much about following in his father's footsteps either, even less so if it meant he had to dedicate his life to a woman he felt nothing for and doom her to a life by his side. What was a kingdom worth that was slowly crumbling apart due to the hardships of freezing temperatures under a constantly gray sky, its ground almost permanently covered by a layer of snow?

But maybe, he thought, his stepmother's plan would help to prove that there really was no girl in the entire kingdom that was meant for him, and he would be able to live in peace from then on out. The small part of his soul that longed to be loved and yearned to be shared with someone would forever be damned to keep quiet, and he'd be able to ignore that it still existed, although it was only rarely swollen enough that he noticed it at all anyway.

Yes, that was a good idea.

"Fine, you convinced me. I agree."


	3. Chapter 3

At the same time in Abnegation, there lived a girl who worked hard every day to keep her family alive. Her father was a carpenter and helped the people in the small village close by to repair their humble homes. Her brother often accompanied and helped him, especially when they had to look for good trees they could cut. Their growth had slowed down since winter had fallen, and they had to walk deeper and deeper into the woods to find trees they could use. The girl's mother had used to sell knitted garments at the markets in all the provinces, but had often given away a piece or two without asking for anything in return when she had noticed that someone couldn't afford to buy clothes, yet still needed them. But then she had turned sick, and now she had to stay at home most of the time.

"Thank you for cooking, Beatrice," she said to her daughter, who had prepared a soup on the stove and just passed a steaming bowl into her hands.

"You're welcome, mother. The soup will warm you up, and then you'll feel better."

Beatrice watched her mother eat while she kept working in the small kitchen. She had to keep the fire going. They couldn't afford to lose the flame. They only had a few matches left, and they needed to safe all the money they could for her mother's medicine.

She cast Natalie a worried look. Her mother had become so thin and pale. The color of her skin had almost turned into the same grayish white that covered the world outside. Beatrice would have to scramble up some silver and go to visit the alchemists at Erudite again soon to get a little more of the elixir that brought back the rosy touch on her mother's cheeks. Therefore, she'd have to leave for a few days to visit the markets in the other provinces. The people in Abnegation almost all lived in poverty, and while visiting their markets was still an obligation, she couldn't expect to make a lot of silver there.

She would have to travel again, like she had done a few times already. It was alright, she even enjoyed seeing the different places and watching people live different lives. She had always accompanied her mother to the markets throughout the whole kingdom since she had been a little girl, and she knew the provinces and the customs of their people quite well. Her mother had trained her to be a good observer, and it had always helped her to adapt to wherever she was and to whomever she was with.

Beatrice let out a sigh as she watched the piece of wood she had just put into the oven catch fire. Bemoaning her situation didn't change anything, that much was clear. Tomorrow, she would have to leave again, and she wouldn't be back for at least two weeks. Her father and brother would have to take care of Natalie while she was away.

* * *

After the sun had risen the next day, her family was still reluctant to let her go, but they had to.

Her father pulled her into an embrace and gave her a small notebook before he left to fix a roof in the next village to the south.

"Take good care of yourself, child," he said and kissed her forehead.

"I will," Beatrice promised and smiled at him softly. What else could she have said or done?

Her mother ran her fragile hands up and down her back and gave her a knife before she had to lie back down in her cushions.

"I know you'll take good care of yourself, daughter," she said and kissed her forehead.

"I will," Beatrice promised and smiled at her softly. What else could she have said or done?

Her brother ran after her, took her hand, squeezed it gently and gave her a box with three matches before he had to go into the woods to collect firewood.

"Be smart enough to take good care of yourself, sister," he said and kissed her forehead.

"I will," Beatrice promised and smiled at him softly. What else could she have said or done?

She hadn't made it far yet with her handbarrow full of garments when she heard a group of girls talking excitedly. That was a remarkable scene to come across, since it wasn't common for people in Abnegation to speak loudly. They usually kept their voices down out of courtesy and respect.

Beatrice knew she should ignore them, but her curiosity got the better of her. Her parents and her brother weren't here to watch her, and maybe she could get some valuable information from these girls.

"Hello, I'm sorry to interrupt. Did you just talk about the prince?" she asked, and the next moment she wanted to bite her tongue for accidentally admitting that she had listened in on the conversation. But the girls didn't seem to mind.

"Yes, the prince is looking for a girl who wants to marry him," the first one said.

"They're arranging a ball tomorrow night. Every girl interested in becoming his wife is invited," the second one said.

"Rumors say that he'll put everyone through a test to find out who's worthy enough for his majesty," the third one said.

"Do you know if the girls have to bring anything with them? Do they need a dress?" Beatrice asked curiously.

"I heard he isn't keen on presents. In fact, I heard he isn't keen on many things in general," the first girl said.

"I heard you just have to turn up and you'll be given a dress and shoes and whatever else you might need," the second girl said.

"I heard it was the queen's idea. She wants him to get married, but he's too presumptuous to choose a girl himself, hence the test," the third girl said.

"And are you going to the castle?" Beatrice asked.

"I don't know yet," the first girl answered.

"Maybe I will," the second girl answered.

"No," the third girl answered.

"No? Just imagine you could live up there. You'd have servants to keep the fire going and to prepare your food. I bet they have better food than we do. I'm sick and tired of those snow potatoes. They're almost all we ever get here," the second girl said and looked back and forth between them.

"That sounds wonderful," Beatrice agreed, and she kept painting pictures on the canvas that was her imagination with the pure power of her thoughts. They helped to keep her warm and moving as she pulled her handbarrow over the snowy path towards the street leading up to the castle.

Maybe this was the solution to all her problems. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to safe her mother and her family like this. She wouldn't let this chance pass her by.


	4. Chapter 4

After another long day's journey, the castle appeared in Beatrice's view. Sitting proudly and steadily in its place on top of a massive rock, it could be seen from afar, no matter on which of the four roads one approached it. Beatrice stopped for a few heartbeats to take in its size and splendor. It was built from white stone that had used to glow in the warm light of the setting sun back in the days when there had been a sun in her world. No matter how many years had come and gone since, the memory was still vivid within her and it warmed her the tiniest bit, but it also left her yearning for those better days.

Today, the glow was gone. Instead, the white seemed pale and blurred with the snowy mountains of Dauntless in the far distance. But the fine architecture with the many thin towers and artfully swung archways and staircases that ran outside the castle to connect its different parts hadn't lost its magnificence.

Beatrice pulled her coat closer around herself before she set off again to reach the castle before darkness would have taken over the land. The closer she got to the main gatehouse that marked the entry to the castle, the faster her heart was beating. It was not fear that caused this effect within her, but a feeling of oppression. What was she walking herself into? Was she really ready to sacrifice her personal freedom in exchange for her mother's health?

The closer she got to the castle, the more she had to will her feet to keep walking. She didn't take the time to rest again, as she was afraid that would lead her to overthink what she was doing and make her resolve crumble.

When she was almost there, she came across a girl who was gathering her belongings from the frozen ground.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" she asked.

The girl looked up at her and smiled. Beatrice was sure she could see surprise wash over her face.

"Yes, that would be nice. My bag tore, I guess I packed too many things," the girl replied, shrugging apologetically.

"Let me help you pick them up, together we'll be faster," Beatrice said and set her own bag down. While hers was mostly filled with items she had wanted to sell, the other girl's bag had been filled with mostly clothes and even a few pieces of jewelry.

Beatrice stared at a necklace made of pearls that she had picked up. Each little ivory pearl was polished to perfection, shining softly in the dusky light. She had never held such beauty in her hands and admired how soft and silken it felt.

"Do you want to wear it to the ball tonight?" asked the girl she was helping when she'd noticed Beatrice's interest in the necklace.

"What? No! I wouldn't want to take it from you. It's yours. _You_ should wear it."

"I have another one that I like more. It's just that my mother thought it was best to take different pieces of jewelry with me, so I ended up with this one as well. It once belonged to my grandmother. - But you can definitely have it for tonight. It's not that you're going to run off with it, I hope."

Beatrice stared at the pearls now lying in her palm and a smile spread over her face that she then shared with the girl.

"Thank you. That's very nice."

"It's also very nice that you're helping me with my belongings and my bag. So, see it as a reward if you like. - I'm Christina, by the way."

"Beatrice."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"So, shall we go up? I heard they're closing the gatehouse when the sun sets."

"Yes, then we shall go."

And so, both girls made the rest of the way together. It was only a short walk to the gatehouse where two soldiers kept guard. They only looked up when they were right in front of them.

"Do you want to join the competition for the prince's heart?" one of them asked, sounding bored.

"Yes, that is what we are here for. Are we gained admission?" Christina asked politely, and Beatrice admired how at ease she seemed to be. Maybe that was because she really _wanted_ to win the prince's heart and marry him.

"Just follow the stairs up to the main doorway, then go in and turn left. There you can put your names on the list."

The girls thanked him before they continued up the stairs, and Beatrice heard the second guard snort towards the first, "The prince's heart? You know as well as everyone else that the prince doesn't have a heart."

* * *

After putting their names down on a long list of girls' names, Beatrice and Christina were escorted to a small chamber that would be their home during their stay at the castle.

"I know it's rather small, but all the larger rooms are already taken, given you two were the last to arrive," the maid who had walked them there apologized. "If you make it through the first test and others don't, you can move to another room."

"But this is perfect the way it is!" Beatrice stated as she took in the chamber. It was small, yes, but it was still almost half the size of the cabin she lived in with her family. The beds seemed comfortable and inviting and were covered with expensive-looking red and blue bedspreads. From the window, she could overlook the plains around the castle that she'd walked through earlier and the mountain range in the background against the darkening sky.

"It will certainly do, but I wouldn't mind changing into a bigger room once there is one available," Christina said after putting her overflowing bag down on a chair beside her bed.

"Well, I'll keep that in mind," the maid said. "You can take a short rest. I will guide you to the boudoir in half an hour, so you can each pick a dress for the ball tonight."

With that, she turned and left them alone.

* * *

Time ran fast, and soon Beatrice was walking between clothing racks full of beautiful dresses. The other girls were all excited as they jumped from one to the next and pictured themselves in them, dancing with the prince, while she was somehow intimidated by the gorgeousness of the fabrics, patterns and rich decorations. How was she supposed to pick a dress she would be comfortable in? She had never worn anything but simple robes all her life, and although not beautiful in any way, they offered comfort and familiarity. She lifted her hand and let it run hesitantly over blue silk and green velvet. She felt out of place here.

A hand on her shoulder startled her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to give you a scare," Christina apologized immediately.

"It's alright. It was my fault. I was distracted."

"Do you need help to choose a dress? Most girls have already made their decision and went back to their rooms to change and get ready. We should do the same, the ball will start in about an hour."

That still seemed like a lot of time to Beatrice, but apparently, to the other girls it wasn't. If she wanted to fit in here, she would have to act like one of them.

"I'm not sure about the color."

"Okay, so what do you usually wear?"

Beatrice gestured to her gray robes made of coarse linen.

"No other colors?" Christina looked at her in disbelief as she slowly shook her head. She seemed taken aback, but caught herself again quickly. "Alright, alright. Let me see."

And then she went to maneuver Beatrice around between the dresses, made her stand next to them and held sleeves next to her face to find a color that fitted her.

Finally, she nodded and took a dress of its hanger.

"Take this one. It's beautiful and the color really suits the tone of your skin."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Don't be so insecure, you'll look gorgeous in this."

Beatrice tried to look confident, but she wasn't sure if she managed to convince Christina. She didn't have to feign her gratitude towards the other girl, though. That was genuine.

Christina also picked matching shoes for her before she left to change. Beatrice stayed behind to look for an accessory that she wanted to wear. She was the only girl left, and the only company she had was the maid from earlier.

"So what is it that you're looking for? Maybe I can help you find it faster, so you'll be ready in time."

"Well, I was wondering if you have gloves that I could wear with my dress tonight."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read this story so far and for your feedback and encouragement. ❤
> 
> This chapter will have the prince and the girl from Abnegation finally meet. About time! ;-)

The last items Tobias put on before leaving for the ballroom were his sash and the emblem with his family crest, a black bird taking flight over a navy blue sky.

On his way downstairs, he made a short detour to visit his father who was still too weak to get up. However, right when the prince was about to leave again, the king uttered his name and made him turn around in the door frame.

"Yes, father?"

"Choose wisely."

Tobias only huffed. What kind of advice was this?

"It is not _my choice. _I've already explained this to you twice. And honestly, I don't really care."

"But you should."

"I can't."

"Choose wisely, son."

With that, the king let himself sink back into the pillows and closed his eyes. He was too weak to elaborate further on the issue.

Tobias on the other hand wondered if his father was slowly loosing his mind and becoming forgetful, as it had only been the very same morning that he'd sat down on the edge of his bed to tell him about the ball, just like he had done the day before.

He descended the stairs to the ballroom and halted in front of the closed backdoor to collect himself. He would only be allowed inside when the music started anyway, and then all eyes would be on him. He dreaded this moment on every official occasion that he had to do this, hating the attention on himself. He'd rather be invisible in those moments. But, like with so many other things, the choice wasn't his.

Waiting and walking up and down the corridor, he could hear the mumble of hundreds of voices from inside, the clatter of shoes on the tiles and the scratching of chairs being drawn. He only stopped pacing when silence fell. Now it was a matter of heartbeats before he had to go out there and enter the podium. He counted backwards from ten as he straightened his uniform and his back.

Then the music started to play and the heavy wooden doors swung open for him to enter the ballroom. It was crowded with people, every single chair occupied. His stepmother was already waiting for him on the podium, reaching for his hand, and together they stood up there until the applause of their subjects had faded, and they sat down on their respective thrones, with Jeanine occupying the one that usually belonged to the king.

Tobias felt exposed up there, with too many eyes cast on him, and he wished the music ensemble would hurry to end the piece they were playing, so they could continue with the ceremony. The sooner they got started, the sooner it would all be over and he would be released from his royal duties, free to go up to his bedchamber and enjoy its silence and loneliness. It surely would be a long night until then.

After the last tunes of the song had finally faded and excited silence had fallen over the many people attending the ball, the queen stood to officially welcome the guests and especially the girls participating in the competition. Tobias listened only halfheartedly as his gaze wandered over the eager faces of said girls, looking up at him with awe and admiration in their eyes. Why they would do that, he had no idea. Apparently they strived for the power that came with a position in the royal family, but all they would gain was a cursed kingdom.

He noticed that Jeanine's speech was over when the girls suddenly got up and stepped forward almost in unison. Strange. They curtsied in greeting and then stood waiting for whatever was coming next. Tobias didn't know the exact procedure. He had agreed to the plan, but had assigned the whole organization to his stepmother. She took more of an interest in this than he did, like she always did when it came to carrying out royal duties.

"So, who of you wants to be the first to dedicate herself to the competition that will either let you leave in shame or become the prince's wife?" Jeanine asked solemnly.

Tobias couldn't blame the girls for shifting slightly backwards. Why they would be willing to probably risk their lives for the kingdom was beyond him, and that any of them would do it to marry him seemed so far-fetched that it didn't even occur to him. There was only one girl that didn't step back. That caught his attention.

She was thin and definitely smaller than many of them. Her pair of curious grayish-blue eyes looked around the ballroom and took in the surroundings with interest and astonishment. Her green dress suited her pale skin. While the skirt fell like a waterfall all the way down to the stone floor, the top, covered in black lace flowers, showed her delicate figure without revealing much skin. A pair of elegant black silk gloves covered her hands and forearms.

The girl appeared to be the only one who hadn't paid attention to the queen's speech, distracted by the people and the place. The instant she realized something was going on and she was the center of attention, she looked up at him as if she'd just been caught doing something forbidden.

Tobias didn't know what was happening to him, but a strange tingle ran down his spine. He sat up straighter. What was this jolt? Did this girl possess magical powers?

The moment passed quickly when Jeanine called her forward. She cast her eyes down as she slowly set one foot in front of the other, as if she was concentrating hard to not stumble and keep moving.

"What's your name?" Jeanine asked her without further greeting.

"Beatrice. - Prior," she muttered.

When

Jeanine shot her one of her ice-cold looks, she repeated her name, louder this time, for everyone to hear.

"Beatrice Prior."

"Beatrice, you're the first to enter the competition to become my son's future wife. Are you willing to tie yourself to the trial?"

"Yes."

"Then please proceed with the ceremony."

The girl - Beatrice - nodded and took two big steps towards the table set up at the side of the podium. Apparently she had been instructed on what to do. She turned around towards the bowls sitting side by side on the table. Her hair was tied up into a knot, so Tobias could at least see the side of her face from where he was sitting. Her chin was set in determination as she slowly pulled the glove off her left hand and reached for the silver dagger beside the bowls. She turned it around once in her hands, testing its weight, or maybe doubting what she was doing. He wouldn't know.

Then she raised the dagger and slid its blade across her palm without further hesitation. She hardly flinched when the metal cut her skin and painted it red.

Beatrice closed her hand to a fist and took a deep breath before she let her blood trickle into each of the five bowls arrayed in front of her:

One drop on the stones representing Abnegation.

One drop on the earth representing Amity.

One drop into the water representing Candor.

One drop on the shards of glass representing Erudite.

One drop into the flames representing Dauntless.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the bowls began to emit dark smoke that first rose in five columns before it condensed into a sphere in mid-air over the table. Then, suddenly, the smoke disappeared and released a belt that fell down and landed right in front of Beatrice's feet. She picked it up and tied it around her slim waist.

When the queen stepped forward again, people started to applaud. Tobias didn't join them. He didn't have to. But maybe he would have, if he hadn't been too occupied trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Maybe it would have been better if he had taken the time to actually talk about the whole procedure with Jeanine, because if he wasn't mistaken, this girl had just magically bound herself to the trial. He didn't know much about magic, but he knew enough to know that the purpose of this ceremony wasn't just to perform a symbolic act.

Perhaps, if his heart hadn't been frozen for the most part, he might have intervened at this point. But the way it was, the way _he_ was, he didn't. He couldn't.

And so the ceremony went on. Girl after girl stepped forward to trickle their blood into the bowls, and each of them received a belt in return.

When it was finally over, Jeanine took over the podium to announce that the prince would now lead the dance.

That was the part that Tobias had been dreading the most. He didn't know why dancing could be appealing to anyone. He wasn't good at it, and never had been. While his mother hadn't pressed him to practice more, Jeanine had forced him to work on his ability to dance. Due to that, his technique had improved, but he still lacked rhythm and finesse. Aside from that, he didn't like the closeness that came with dancing. Touch was something he was reluctant about, since it confused him and wore him out.

So, naturally, being forced to dance with dozens of girls who wanted to become his wife felt like Jeanine's own kind of torture. He wished he could disregard protocol and retreat to his room, but he knew his stepmother would never allow that. One poignant look out of her icy eyes was enough to let him know there was nowhere for him to run to.

Having no other choice, the prince asked girl after girl for a dance, and while the music played and each young lady tried to impress him with either their beauty, their knowledge or their bravery, he tried to shut down his emotions as best as he could to make it through the night.

When he thought he was done, he was told otherwise by the queen. She had kept an eye on him all night, surveilling the fulfilling of his duty, and had kept track on all the girls he had danced with.

"One is still missing. Then we can call it a night," she informed him and signalled to the girl in the green dress, the girl who had been the first to step forward earlier. He had forgotten her name.

"Fine, one more," he muttered under his breath as he went to ask her to dance with him.

Unlike the others, she didn't seem too keen on dancing. If it was because of him or if it was a general dislike, he couldn't know. He put a hand on her shoulder blade and took one of her hands with the other as the music ensemble started a new song. She was wearing the gloves again. The fabric felt soft and warm in his palm as they began to sway to the melody. He was thankful that for once, he didn't have to hold a cold, sweaty hand in his. And for once, he didn't flinch at the hand that was placed on his shoulder. It was mostly just laying there, resting more than grabbing.

If all the girls had been like that, then the whole night would have been more bearable.

As the music swelled and picked up speed, he started to waltz the unobtrusive girl in his arms round the dance floor. The minutes passed in welcomed silence, as she was the first tonight that didn't feel the need to talk. She also didn't force him to have constant eye contact with her, which, strangely, made him glance up to her stormy eyes more often than he usually would have.

They never spoke a single word until the music stopped and the dance was over.

"Thank you for this dance," the girl said politely and curtsied.

"You're welcome," he replied and at the same moment wondered if, for the first time tonight, he actually meant that. She was about to turn around when he got over his surprise. "Wait. What was your name again?"

"Beatrice," she smiled lightly. "Beatrice Prior."


	6. Chapter 6

Beatrice had a restless night, despite the warm and comfortable bed she was lying in. She woke several times from strange dreams that left her more restless than she'd already been. Her thoughts kept twirling around in her head. The challenges that lay ahead of her had her worried. Not knowing what to expect was what was most difficult. In the dark hours of night, her mind kept painting the weirdest scenarios of what she was going to face.

Also, unexpectedly, the prince's face was a returning image in front of her inner eye, no matter how hard she fought it. She hadn't been able to look him in the eyes while they'd been dancing. The unfamiliar touch of his arm around her shoulder and his hand covering hers had already been distracting enough. Christina had asked her repeatedly about the gloves she'd been wearing, but Beatrice had refused to explain herself further. All she'd told her was that she'd always wanted to try on elegant gloves like those and that she thought they went perfectly with her dress. From the way her new friend had looked at her, she wasn't sure if she had managed to convince her, but in the end, she'd let go of the question and changed the conversation to other topics.

The ball had been an exhausting experience, with so many people around and so many conversations to take part in. Usually, Beatrice didn't like to lose too many words over anything, something she'd learned while growing up in Abnegation, where people strove for being humble and selfless. While she doubted that she herself was as humble and selfless as the majority there, she still knew she was a good observer. And so, while having spoken to several contestants during the ball, she had spent a lot of time studying the other girls and their behavior. They all brought different manners with them, depending on where they came from.

As far as she had seen, she was the only girl from Abnegation. Probably competing for the prince's hand in marriage was too selfish a hope to follow. The girls from Amity were the best dancers, while the ones from Erudite all looked a little distant and conceited, as if all this was below them. There were a lot of girls from Dauntless, who were easy to make out because they were the loudest. The girls from Candor also tended to be loud, but in addition, they seemed to be brutally honest. Beatrice had overheard a conversation between two of them talking openly about only wanting the prince for his money. She had blushed when she realized she had the same reason herself, only she would never have said it aloud as if it was something to be proud of. If anything, she felt ashamed about it.

When dawn finally set an end to the night, Beatrice swung her legs out of bed and went to wake Christina. They had decided to set off to their first test together, and that included starting the day together. While Beatrice was eager to be able to do something now instead of shifting fears of the unknown around in her mind, Christina had a hard time leaving her bed. She protested that she wanted to enjoy the warmth of the bedspread and the softness of the cushion a little longer.

When they eventually made it to the breakfast hall, most of the other girls were already present. Their heads turned towards the both of them as they entered through the wide door and looked for a place to sit. Beatrice didn't like the attention and, not for the first time, felt self-conscious in her gray robes. Her attire didn't matter where she came from, but here, in the castle, it certainly did. Still, it provided comfort, a little piece of home in the distance.

The food was delicious. While even in the castle the availability of fruit was limited, there still was more to choose from than Beatrice was used to. It was impossible to try everything, and she swore she'd make it through the first test even if it was just to have another breakfast like this again.

The girls' chatter ebbed away when the queen herself strode to the front of the room between the tables. Everyone stood up to show their respect. She took a particularly long moment before she greeted the contestants and explained how the whole trial would work.

"You will each be assigned a task to accomplish in one of the five provinces. Some tasks will be the same for every single one of you, while others will differ. It depends on what the bowls give you. You're now magically bonded to them after offering them your blood, and there will be no way out of the competition than going right through the tasks. If you fail, however, you are free. But you cannot_ choose_ to stop trying, remember that. What you _may_ choose is where you want to begin. All five bowls have been moved to the courtyard, where you will walk up to one of them and pick the sphere with your name on it. It will reveal your task to you when you close your hand around it.

You have to be back here by next Saturday, even if you haven't managed to complete your task. Some may require a longer period of time to fulfill than others, so choose wisely where to begin and where to end. When you come back to the castle and have completed your task, a gemstone with your name on it will be waiting for you in the very same bowl you took the sphere from. You are only allowed to take your own gemstone. I warn you not to try to cheat, or, I promise, you will regret that."

The silence in the hall was thick. Nobody dared to speak, not even the Dauntless girls who always were so confident.

"Each gemstone will fit in one of the five empty clasps on your belt, which you might have found to be irremovable. Once attached to your belt, the amount of collected stones will demonstrate your progress in the competition. If you manage to complete all five tasks, you will become my son's wife."

At that, excited gasps resonated from the stone walls.

"You have one hour to choose a province and get your task. Good luck."

* * *

Beatrice waited until the majority of girls had picked their spheres and then stepped in front of the table with the Amity bowl. She and Christina had come to the decision to make this province their first to visit together. Not having to go all on her own soothed her worries about what she'd have to face. Also, Amity didn't seem like the worst place to start with, as the people who lived there were known for being friendly and peaceable. The tree engraved on the bowl symbolized their ability to reach out to each other and to live in harmony with nature.

Beatrice hesitated for a heartbeat with her arm outstretched before she reached for the little sphere inside the bowl that showed her name on it. It was cold and lay heavy in the palm of her hand. Slowly, she closed her fingers around it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then it turned warm, as if melting in her grasp. Unable to move her fingers, she just stared at her fist. Only after the warmth had evaporated, she was able to open her hand again. A piece of parchment with the royal emblem in the top corner was all that was left from the sphere.

Curious as ever, she picked it up to read the words written in neat letters.

"What does it say?" came Christina's voice from right behind her, startling her.

Beatrice let the parchment sink.

"_'Get a magical melody from the fairies'_."


	7. Chapter 7

The road leading towards Amity became bendy once the girls had made it through the plains surrounding the castle. It was a long distance to walk in one single day, and they had to hurry to make it to their destination before nightfall. They were carrying their belongings in their bags, just as many as they could manage. It had been difficult to decide on what to take with them and what to leave in the castle, given that they didn't know what exactly they would have to do once they reached Amity. Beatrice was even carrying a few of the goods she had originally wanted to sell. Maybe they could make a few thalers by still doing so.

Christina kept telling her about life in Candor and how annoying it could be that people were being honest more often than not.

"You know, they won't even lie if the truth will obviously hurt someone. And I'm not talking about the big things in life. No, the small things they could lie about and thus just be much nicer to each other. Why throw into somebody's face that they are too loud or too vain or too _whatever_ all the time," she ranted.

Beatrice nodded approvingly. Being used to spot other's needs in what they were saying, she was a good listener. She noted the slight bitterness in her new friend's words, the slight edge to her tone and the way she blinked against the gray sky although it already began to get darker. To her, it was clear as day that Christina wasn't talking all that hypothetically at the moment. She had something personal on her mind. But Beatrice knew better than to push her. With how open her companion usually was, it probably wouldn't take long until she'd tell her more about it of her own volition.

And so they walked on.

And on.

And on.

When the houses of Amity finally came in sight in the distance, a sigh escaped Beatrice's lips. She was cold and tired, yet full of hope to find a place to spend the night. She had been here before to sell goods, and she knew how friendly people were - or at least had been, in earlier days. She hoped their hospitality wasn't buried under the layers of snow.

She smiled upon seeing the makeshift wooden sign at the edge of the village that pointed down a wide street to the left and had the word "contestants" carved into it.

"Oh wow, they prepared this for us? How nice of them!" Christina squealed. "Now we're going to have a house to sleep in, I'm sure. We won't have to spend the night outside, thank heavens! I mean, look around, there's nobody in the streets anymore, so all the girls who arrived before us must be inside somewhere. We're lucky, aren't we?"

"Yes, I hope we are," Beatrice replied, not yet trusting the image of a warm place to stay the night.

So many footsteps led the way in the direction the sign was pointing them that she was suddenly afraid there wouldn't be enough helpful people left to offer them shelter. They trudged through the snow anyway until they came to a halt in front of a red house at the end of the street. The light shafting through its closed window shutters glowed warm and inviting.

Christina didn't hesitate to knock on the door. It took a moment until it opened and a woman stood before them. Her skin was dark, but not dark enough to hide the scar running across her left cheek.

Beatrice hastened to look into her eyes. They were kind, warm and welcoming.

"Good evening girls, you must be in search for the magical melody, too, I assume? Please, come inside," she said and stepped aside to make room for them.

They didn't need to be told twice. The warmth from the fireplace filled the whole living room they stood in and embraced their frozen limbs as they took off their coats and shoes. The pumpkin soup the woman, who had introduced herself as Johanna, offered them warmed them from the inside a few minutes later.

"We can't keep thanking you enough for your hospitality," Beatrice said for probably the third time as she forced herself not to bolt her soup faster than what was considered polite.

"You're welcome. Like I said, we were expecting you to arrive at Amity tonight. The other girls have already left to stay with other people who have the ability to host someone in their house. As it is late now, you will stay here with me. I have two spare mattresses upstairs you can sleep on."

"How can we pay for that?" Christina asked between two large spoons full of soup.

Beatrice wasn't used to such direct negotiations, but Johanna answered without batting an eye at the straightforward question.

"We, as in the people of Amity, have discussed that matter and come to agree that you will help us work in the fields for as long as you're here, but at least for three days. We consider that a fair offer."

"We will gladly help you with the crops, Johanna," Beatrice nodded. That wouldn't be too hard to do.

"But do we have the time to stay three days and still go to look for the fairies and get the melody from them?" Christina asked, concerned.

Johanna looked from Beatrice to her and smiled.

"You will. We have already discussed your task in our assembly this afternoon, right after the first girls had arrived. You were all given the same task."

"Wait," Christina interrupted. "What do you mean by _'this afternoon'_? The first girls left barely an hour before we did."

Johanna looked at her, somewhat pointedly. "They ran."

"They did _what_?"

"They ran. They're from Dauntless, they say they are used to running a lot and didn't want to waste any time."

Beatrice swallowed past the building lump in her throat. How would the two of them manage to stay in the competition if their competitors were this fast?

Johanna seemed to have noticed her sudden change of mood, as she reached for her hand and patted it reassuringly.

"No need to duck your head. I assure you, there are going to be tasks that can't be dealt with by being the fastest and strongest. You will also need your brains and, most importantly, your hearts."

"Thank you for your encouragement."

Beatrice felt better being reminded of that. She would have to play all her strengths, but maybe it would be wise to work a little on becoming faster and stronger before taking up the gauntlet to pick a sphere out of the Dauntless bowl.

"So, if each of us has the same assignment to fulfill in Amity, will we go as a group? I've heard the fairies aren't too fond of visitors these days," Christina steered the conversation back to the subject.

Johanna turned towards her.

"No. You'll go in small groups. What you've heard is true, at least partially. The fairies don't trust people the way they used to. That's why they don't like it when too many stranger walk up their hill to visit them without invitation. We already sent an envoy up there to notify them and give them a day to prepare for visitors. When you get there, they will already know about your task."

"And once we talk to them, will they just share a melody with us?" Beatrice asked.

This sounded a little too easy. Where would be the challenge in that?

"Probably not. They are reluctant to share their wisdom, especially their melodies. They have been the keepers of magical melodies since the beginning of time, and they will only share them with someone who they deem worthy of such sacred knowledge. You will have to demonstrate said worthiness. I don't know what they will ask you to do, but I am convinced they will come up with a challenge of their own. They dislike our queen, and they won't be happy that they are forced to give something of theirs away without having a say in it. They fear her too much to disobey, but they will make up their own conditions."

So, _there_ was the challenge.


	8. Chapter 8

On their first day in Amity, time passed fast. Beatrice and Christina accompanied Johanna to the farms and helped her work in the fields all day. Most of Amity seemed to be outside with them, working the hard soil. The visitors were easy to make out even from afar by their different clothes, but also because they often had to pause to ask what to do to help grow the crops despite the cold.

The work was hard and repetitive, and while Christina sighed heavily from time to time and took breaks that were longer than necessary, Beatrice kept going without complaints. The monotonous movements distracted her from the path she'd have to go to complete the tasks and took her worries away for a while. Some Amity occasionally stroke up a song that more and more people then joined in singing, simple songs about love and peace and the beauty of nature. Digging up the hard earth and cutting furrows was easier accompanied by a tune that that provided a rhythm for their work.

Beatrice had never given much thought to how the Amity were still growing crops despite the cold, but she learned from Johanna how they had changed their methods. There was a tank of water that was heated by a fire and then pumped manually through subterranean pipes under some of the fields. Other crops were now grown in houses made of glass that could keep an even temperature. Some of their people had specialized in pollinating the plants, as there were too little bees around to produce enough fruit.

Beatrice couldn't help but feel stupid about her prior ignorance and remembered the times she had secretly complained about the low quality and variety of food available these days. Now she realized she could be thankful that there was enough food to keep the people of the kingdom alive and prevent them from starving to death at all. Never again would she forget to appreciate the Amity's work. It was her last thought before she fell into a deep sleep after this long day.

On their second day in Amity, time passed just as fast. They helped to patch the fences surrounding the farms that were supposed to keep animals away from the orchards and fields. It was less monotonous, but still difficult with the makeshift equipment they had to use for lack of proper construction material.

Christina used their lunch break to ask around about the first contestant's visit to the fairies the day before, but she came back to Beatrice with little to no information. All she had found out was that two of the girls, both from Dauntless, had just run off after breakfast instead of helping in the fields, as they'd been asked to do by their hosts. Beatrice shook her head at such disrespectful behavior. What did they think who they were?

They stayed outside until the sun started to set, and when they returned to Johanna's house, all they wanted to do was eat and go to bed early.

But, however, Johanna had other plans for the night.

"Once every week, we all meet at the municipal hall to hold a weather ceremony. We haven't given up hope that one day the sun will return to warm these grounds we call our home. Even if there's little we can do, at least we continue to do _this_," Johanna explained. "You will join us tonight as we perform the old rituals handed down through the centuries. And remember it's an honor to partake in this ceremony, so please act accordingly. Do what you are invited to do and don't decline what's offered to you."

Beatrice felt the deep importance Johanna gave to this ceremony, so she gave her approval immediately, ignoring her aching bones and sore muscles. Additional training definitely wasn't needed while staying in Amity.

And that is how it came that they found themselves in the middle of the gathered crowd in front of the province's municipal hall, a warped wooden building with crumbling yellow paint. A secret signal must have been given, at which people formed a huge circle with rows and rows of people standing behind each other around a heap of piled up firewood. Copying the Amity, Beatrice and Christina hurried to find a place in the inner circle, where they'd have a good view.

It remained covert to them who had started the actual ceremony as more and more people began to clap their hands in a simple rhythm and sway from side to side. Luckily, it was easy enough to join in. It went on and on, until Beatrice didn't have to think about the clapping anymore and her hands just continued to follow the rhythm of their own accord. Strangely, though, her mind wasn't able to wander either, and it was soothing to just stay in the moment. Goblets were passed around that people drank from, the brown liquid shared between them burning Beatrice's tongue. Yet she took another gulp or two every time a goblet was passed through her hands, respecting Johanna's words about the ceremony.

After a while, it left her mouth dry and peculiarly numb. It also relaxed her mind, and when the crowd began to hum along with the clapping, she joined in without hesitation. The connection she felt to those strangers around her tore at her insides in a long-forgotten way. Was this happiness? No, happiness was too strong of an emotion for this tingling sensation. But something related to it, maybe?

Their voices rose and their chorus became louder until someone lit the fire in their middle. The flames nibbled at the icy wood at first, not having much impact. It took them a while to grow and rise higher and higher, feeding themselves on the logs, yet sharing their warmth with them all.

Beatrice couldn't say how long the whole ritual took, her sense of time momentarily lost. All she remembered the next morning was that she had been filled with warm energy as she had walked back to Johanna's house after the fire had been suffocated under a layer of snow.

On their third day in Amity, time passed even faster than the on previous days. For one thing, the peace and optimism Beatrice had experienced the night before still remained with her, improving her mood and letting the work in the greenhouses flow easily. Every branch she cut and every growing fruit she wrapped in fabric to protect it from the cold brought her closer to the evening and therefore to tomorrow, which meant leaving to visit the fairies. She was excited to finally move on and go there to face their challenge.

Johanna smiled knowingly at her enthusiasm during dinner, "I see you still benefit from yesterday's ceremony."

"Yes, it was an interesting night," she replied politely.

"Interesting?" Johanna rose her eyebrows.

"Well, I don't know what kind of drink you had in those goblets, but I've never known a substance this calming, and together with the dancing and singing, it cleared my mind of doubts, which is nice." Beatrice paused, then added, "I don't know about its influence on the weather, though."

"I don't think it has any influence on that. Dancing around a fire and a bit of clapping won't change the weather, no matter what you tell the people in your province," Christina chimed in rather bluntly.

Beatrice kicked her softly under the table.

"Ouch, what are you doing?"

"Trying to tell you to watch your words," Johanna answered before Beatrice could say anything.

"Oh, sorry, I was speaking my thoughts out loud again. I have more Candor in me than I realized, I guess," Christina frowned and bit her lip.

"Well, you're partially right," Johanna admitted to their surprise. "It's_ called '_weather ceremony', and it has been held for a long time in this region of the kingdom. Our ancestors believed they could call the sun with fire and the rain with water. The rites then were forgotten and only were brought up again when winter settled to stay. Unfortunately, we don't know the original songs used, so we made up our own."

"And people still believe that one day it's going to work?" Beatrice asked.

"We cannot afford to abandon hope, or what use would there be in going on? Hope is what keeps us getting up every morning and doing our work."

"That's not a real answer," Christina stated and Beatrice looked at her sharply.

Johanna didn't seem to mind her comment.

"I know it's not. I trust you to be smart enough to figure out the purpose of this ceremony yourselves."

Beatrice slowly nodded, understanding. "I think I have."

* * *

The next morning came too early. Beatrice hadn't slept well that night, so she was still tired when she got up. She got through her routine of washing her face and getting dressed without giving it much thought, thankful that Christina wasn't as talkative in the morning as she could be at other times. Today was an important day, and she liked to take her time to brace herself to face it.

A knock on the door during breakfast announced an early visitor. Johanna got up to let him in. A young man stumbled over the threshold and brushed snow out of his hair.

"Good morning, Johanna. Girls..." he turned to them, a broad smile on his face.

They greeted him politely, and Johanna introduced him as her nephew Robert. He was supposed to accompany them to the fairies today, so they wouldn't get lost and to let the fairies know from an official source that they were the last visitors, since they didn't trust the word of strangers anymore.

So, after finishing breakfast, they set off together, Robert leading the way between houses to find another door to knock at and pick up two more girls. They were both from Dauntless, their black clothes standing out against the snow. One of them, Marlene, greeted them nicely while the other, a girl with her hair almost completely shaved, looked at them as if she wanted to judge if they might turn into a threat to her and her friend during the competition. Apparently, she concluded that they couldn't, since she snorted dismissively before she told them her name was Lynn and that she wasn't out here to make new friends.

"Fine, as nice as you seem, that won't be an issue," Christina replied nonchalantly, and Marlene chuckled at her quick reply.

"Girls, please," Robert interrupted. "We have a long hike ahead of us, so you might want to safe your energy for _that_ instead of firing at each other. You're in the province of the peaceful, remember? The fairies love peace, it's what they live of, so please, if you can't behave, you're free to decide to stay right here."

Nobody decided to stay, so they left the safe village behind. The first part of the journey was easy enough, as they were walking through the plains. Gradually, the path became narrower and uneven and started to rise. They advanced slower now, having to watch their step on the stony ground. Both Beatrice and Christina needed to catch their breath now and then, but they tried to hide their exhaustion as well as possible. Neither of them liked Lynn's condescending looks. Marlene seemed nice, though. She offered them her hand to help them cross a particularly difficult field of slippery rocks, and Beatrice thankfully accepted it.

After a silent lunch break, Robert gave them some last instructions.

"Listen, we are soon going right into the fog. It will be difficult to see the trail we're walking on, and we have to be careful not to lose each other. I brought a rope, we should all hold on to it. That way, it'll be easier to stick together. Once we've reached the village, I'll deliver the message from Amity and leave you to talk to the twelve fairies. We'll go back to Amity together afterwards."

"What do you mean by '_twelve fairies'_? Are they all that are left?" Marlene asked, concerned.

"No, there are still more. But their _Council of the Farsighted Fairies_ consists of the twelve wisest of their species. They watch over their rules and their land. You know, this used to be a sunny place. Their village is on top of this hill, and it used to be above the clouds at all times. It was a mesmerizing sight, their colorful houses, flowers everywhere... It always smelled of summer, even if it was raining elsewhere. But when the winter came, the clouds rose and clasped their once beautiful home. Now the fog never dissolves. They live with it, in it, constantly. To me, who knows how it used to be once upon a time, the place is almost unrecognizable."

Beatrice felt Robert's sadness as if it was her own. She already knew many places that now looked utterly different than in her early childhood. Some hurt more to remember, others less, but seeing the beauty of the kingdom waste away more and more as years went by stung.

"Anyway," Robert sighed after his mind had been absent for a while. "We need to leave, or we won't make it back home by tonight."

Only moments later, the thick fog had swallowed the little group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having lots of fun writing this story, I hope you have as much fun reading it. Thanks for your kudos and comments! ❤


	9. Chapter 9

Beatrice had to focus on each of her steps to not stumble and fall on the uneven ground they were walking on. At the same time, Robert's words still lingered in the back of her mind. She had heard about the fairies from her mother when she had still been a child, tales that seemed to come from a different time. Or not only seemed to be, but really _were_. She had never asked herself what had become of them, too preoccupied with her own life, and now she was going to find out.

All she remembered was that they were magical creatures shrouded in legend. There were tales about people who had set out to visit them to ask for their help, and many returned happy and with their wishes fulfilled. But they had been bound to secrecy by them, so it remained undisclosed what kind of help they'd obtained from them. Those stories became less and less the longer the winter lasted until there were no new tales to share other than that the fairies had stopped receiving visitors.

"How far is it now?" Christina interrupted the silence.

"We're there any moment," Robert answered, and right on cue, the fog thinned around them, and they emerged onto a clearing. There was still enough moisture in the air to restrict their view, but it was obvious they had reached the destination of their hike. Single trees stood on the plateau otherwise covered in snow, littered with patches of muddy ground and ocher grass. The trees were leafless, yet still emitted an aura of former glory. Each one was home to a tree house, every one of those different from the others, artfully built to fit between arms and branches without having to prune the trees. Their walls were painted in pale colors that seemed to have faded over the years.

"I forgot to mention, don't comment on the tone of their skin," Robert muttered under his breath as a woman walked towards them.

"Why? What do you mean?", Marlene asked, but the woman was too close for Robert to answer without her overhearing them.

Beatrice immediately understood why Robert had said it. The woman, _the fairy_, that stood before them had a pale greenish face that left the impression that there was something wrong with her. As Beatrice looked closer she noticed her arms and hands had the same sickly skin tone. She swallowed back her curiosity and filed her questions away for later.

"Hello Robert. Strangers...," she greeted them with a nod. Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she had spoken too much lately - or too little. "You're looking for the magical melody, too, I assume."

Her gaze wandered from one girl to the next, and while the others managed to hold themselves straight under her scrutinizing stare, Beatrice lowered her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine. She felt as if the fairy could see right inside her and read her like an open book. It was as if she was being judged, and she felt a pang of guilt for being here for her mother's sake and not for the prince.

"Interesting," the fairy stated. "Now if you want to follow me..."

She turned around and suddenly, Beatrice was able to breathe freely again.

"That was strange," Christina whispered, clutching her throat with her left hand.

"You felt that, too?"

"Yes, just didn't want to show her."

They followed the fairy to the nearest cluster of trees. Beatrice observed the wings that grew out of her shoulders and hung limply across her back. They swayed sadly in the wind, all life drawn out of them. Nonetheless, they emitted a soft glow that she could easily imagine having once been a shining light.

"So, you will follow me up into this tree house one by one, and I will tell you what you need to know," she said as they stopped beneath a particularly high tree, with strong branches spreading in all directions. "You'll be first," the fairy decided and pointed to Beatrice.

"Thank you," she replied and tried to ignore the height as she climbed the rungs pegged to the trunk in uneven patterns. It became easier once she'd reached the branches, as her hands found better grip on them. There was no denying how relieved she was when she reached the tree house and stepped inside, testing its wooden floor. It creaked under her feet, but otherwise seemed stable enough to trust it. Once she was sure of that, Beatrice took in her surroundings.

The house was entirely made of wood, as was the furniture inside. Everything else was at least made of plants or other natural materials like stones and clay. A lot of vegetable dyes had been used to create the impression that all the colors of the rainbow had flown into each other in the making of the interior. The passion for detail was clearly perceptible, and it was a shame that the colors had faded to different shades of pale over the years.

"This looks beautiful," Beatrice mumbled, unaware she was speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Well, it has seen better times, I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you."

"You didn't. I'm Fiona, by the way."

"Beatrice. Beatrice Prior."

"So, have a seat, Beatrice."

Fiona gestured to a net that was dangling from the ceiling. It was entirely made of plant tissue and rope, and she had to unfold it to be able to sit inside it. It felt like a cocoon around her as it swayed softly from side to side after she had sat down in it.

"You're different," Fiona said after another one of her surveying stares.

Beatrice swallowed past her nervousness.

"Different? How?"

"You see, every single girl I led up here so far has immediately asked me for the melody they need to get. You, on the other hand, you take your time and pay respect to the place. And you don't ask me why I say that you're different, you just ask me in _which way_ you diverge from them. That means you know you're different, somehow, though you may not yet understand how. There are things we have to figure out about ourselves by, well, ourselves. There is no worth in others telling us."

"I... I don't know what to reply, to be honest."

"That's alright. So, since you haven't asked yet: Why are you here?"

Fiona looked at her expectantly, as if she didn't already know her reasons.

"I want to learn one of your magical melodies, if you'd be so kind to share it with me, please."

Beatrice didn't know why it was so hard to ask for this. It felt like a step backwards in their conversation, as if they had shared pleasantries before and were now getting back to business. It didn't sit right with her.

"I'm sorry to ask you for this. I'm not looking to offend you or the fairies in general," she added to her request. "I respect that you're reluctant to share it with anyone, yet I still have to ask to learn one."

The silence stretched between them as Fiona took in her guest. It seemed to be a habit of hers, to take her time both with people and words.

"There is a common misinterpretation of our refusal to give away magical knowledge. We used to be much more generous with it, back in the days of summer and glory. We learned to be more careful about whom to trust. Our magic is worth nothing without blooming flowers and flourishing hope, so there's nothing we can do with our melodies to call the sun back to the sky. But there is other magic floating through this kingdom, dark magic, and we don't want to have our knowledge fall into the wrong hands."

The silence was so heavy now, so palpable, that Beatrice could hear her own heartbeat thrum in her ears.

"Since we can't deny the queen's order, we have adapted it to our needs. I will give you this," Fiona picked up a small silvery box from a shelf and handed it to Beatrice, who took it carefully in her hands to examine it. "This box is made of ferrunitium, an alloy created to withstand all physical attempts to break it. There will be no other way to open it and retrieve the melody hidden inside than to open the seven locks that hold it closed. They are bewitched, so again, there will be no way to open them other than with _love_."

"With _love_? You mean, the prince has to fall in love with one of us and then the box opens?"

"Yes and no," Fiona smiled knowingly. "There are exactly seven different kinds of love needed to open it, one for each lock. Seven kinds of love shared with seven different people."

"That seems a lot."

"It is. But the content is precious, so only those worthy of it will ever hear it. And when it opens -_ if_ it opens - only the owner of the box will be able to hear the melody. Everyone else who happens to be close by will just hear the wind freshen, nothing more."

Beatrice turned and twisted the little box in her clammy hands, trying to understand the concept of the challenge. She didn't want to get it wrong and accidentally ruin her chances.

"But how will the locks know when to open?" she eventually asked, hesitant.

"They will know, simply by detecting acts of love around them that are connected to you. The locks will open one after the other, so you'll know your progress."

* * *

Beatrice was thankful to have some time to sort out her thoughts and feelings while she was waiting for the others to finish their visits to the tree house. She walked around several of the other old trees, admiring how the fairies had managed to construct buildings in their crowns so high above the ground.

Their way back to Amity was a quiet one, as they all followed their own thoughts. Also, Fiona had made it clear that she didn't want her to speak about the subjects of their conversation, and she wanted to respect her wish. Still, it was difficult to do so when there were so many questions on her mind.

Apparently, Christina had the same difficulties.

"Hey, Beatrice," she whispered as the both of them had fallen behind a little. "That was weird, wasn't it?"

"A little," she answered evasively. She didn't want to break her promise to Fiona.

"She hardly said anything to me, you know? Just explained about the box and that was it. I thought perhaps we would get a little more from her, something more useful. All this talking about '_love and magic'_ was a bit squishy, if you ask me. I mean, do you know what to do now?"

"No, not exactly. I assume time will tell us."

"You've been up there with her much longer, did she give you a hint?" Christina asked hopefully.

"No, sorry. It was just... We were silent for a long while. It took her forever before she gave me the box."

Beatrice hoped that would be enough of an answer for her friend. She wasn't good at lying, but it wasn't _really_ lying if she just left out parts of the truth, wasn't it? She had promised. But why had Fiona apparently told her more about the fairies than she had told Christina, or Lynn and Marlene, probably? Her impression that the other gils had spent less time with her than she had hadn't been just an illusion.

Lucky for her, they caught up to the others at that moment. Robert pointed to a small path leading away from the trail they were walking on.

"Girls, I will need your help now. Five minutes from here, we'll reach a meadow. We will look for roots there, the ones we make our holy drink for the weather ceremonies from. My aunt told me to bring some more, since we're running out of supplies. Just roll up your sleeves and dig into the ground. It's muddy, you won't need shovels for that. Once we have this bag filled with roots, we'll continue our hike and arrive just before sunset, I hope."

Beatrice was thankful to avoid any further questioning, and Christina didn't bring up the issue again in the evening, as they both fell asleep faster than they were able to say _goodnight_.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm a little late today, it was a busy one and I just got home. So here's the next chapter, back to the castle we go.
> 
> Thanks for your support! ❤

It was Christina's idea to stay another day in Amity to help in the orchards. Maybe, she suggested conspicuously, it might help them with their given task. Beatrice hadn't thought of this, but she agreed. Her friend might just as well be right about it. Did it show enough _love_ to dedicate an additional day of work to the Amity?

It was worth trying.

Only, all seven locks on their boxes were still closed in the evening, and they remained unopened until the moment of the girls' departure to the castle had come after another night.

After breakfast, it was time to say farewell. Johanna stood in the door frame as they turned around one last time to thank her for opening her home to them. But Johanna wouldn't accept Beatrice's attempt at a handshake and pulled her in for a hug instead. Beatrice, not accustomed to such display of affection outside her family, returned it somewhat hesitantly. Christina had fewer reservations about it.

"And remember: It is important to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," Johanna gave them a last piece of advice before they turned out of sight with a last wave of the hand.

"What did she mean by that?" Christina frowned as they made their way along the snowy path between the houses.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Beatrice replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, preparations for the second ball were well underway.

The queen had ordered food and flowers, though the latter had to be made of fabric by her sewers.

The band was practicing new tunes to delight the guests.

The king was still tied to the bed by his mysterious disease, his days only brightened by his son's visits to his chamber.

He was worried about the prince, who spent most of his visits sitting by his bed in silence. Whenever he asked him a question, he answered it obligingly, yet he still didn't show any signs that the whole competition to win his hand in marriage affected him other than being an inconvenience to him.

"Aren't you looking forward to the ball tonight?" the king asked the prince on Saturday evening.

"No. I'm not really looking forward to anything anymore. I mean, do you?"

"I'm old, son. You're still young. You have a life to live. I don't."

"Don't say that. You will be better."

"See? At least, there is _some_ hope left in you."

Tobias just took a deep breath at that, not knowing how to deny it. He was too indifferent to put his heart into a discussion with his father.

"So, isn't there even one girl you're looking forward to dance with a second time?" the king tried again.

"I don't even know who's going to return tonight. I was told some have already failed to prove themselves. Lucky for me, there will be less dancing to get through this time."

Whatever it was that the king had wanted to say, it was prevented by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Tobias replied, unaware that he cut off his father.

"My apologies for the interruption, your Majesty. The queen sent me for prince Tobias. The ball is about to begin, and his presence is needed downstairs."

"Ah, Ezekiel," the king said. "Please, accompany my son to the ballroom and make sure he doesn't skip any dances."

When the young man at the door seemed to be unsure of what to make of this request, he added, "I mean, accidentally, of course."

The king gave his son a stern look as the latter rose from his chair and followed the guard out of the chamber.

As soon as they were outside, making their way through hallways and down various flights of stairs side by side, Ezekiel's shoulders relaxed.

"So, accidentally, mh? Do you plan to pass up the chance to dance with the most beautiful girls our - _your_ \- kingdom has to offer?"

Tobias glanced at him sideways.

"Zeke, you know quite well I don't like dancing._ At all._"

"Yet still here you are, giving a ball. _Again_, I might add."

"First, I haven't arranged this ball. Jeanine has. Second, I only play the part she needs me to play, so she leaves me be."

"But isn't there even one girl you're looking forward to dance with a second time?"

Tobias stopped right in the middle of the staircase and looked at the guard.

"Have you been eavesdropping?"

Zeke was the closest to a friend that he had. Back when they had been children, they had used to spend a lot of time together, playing and discovering the secrets of the castle and its surroundings. Zeke's father Amar had been the leader of the royal bodyguards until he was dismissed from the position shortly after Marcus and Jeanine had become engaged. He had left the castle to move back to Dauntless where his family had still been living, but he never arrived there after his last day of work, and neither he nor his horse had ever been found.

Zeke had kept visiting and tried to follow in his father's footsteps. He was still in training, but spent enough time in the castle to keep an eye on Tobias. He was the only one who still treated him the way he always had, as an equal, although they weren't and never had been.

"I might have... Just a little, though. I didn't hear much, I just figured you'd rather want me to free you from your father's questions."

"Only to throw them at me yourself now?" Tobias huffed.

But he couldn't manage to sound as angry as he wanted to. Not with Zeke. Not when he was right.

"Let's say '_redirect'_, shall we?" Zeke said with disarming nonchalance.

Tobias resumed walking, trying to sound as casual as possible when he admitted, "Fine, there was one girl that caught my attention last week."

"Only you can dance with fifty girls and say that only one of them," Zeke brought his hands up to make quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "_'caught your attention'_." When Tobias more or less ignored his comment, he continued, "So who was it, and why?"

"Her name is Beatrice. She was the only one who didn't talk a mile a minute. No bragging, no questions, just silence - the comfortable kind. Well, as comfortable as it can be with a few hundred people watching me stumble around in the middle of the dance floor with her."

"Silence, hm? Interesting. So do you know anything about her?"

"Apart from her name? Not really. Just that she was the only one wearing gloves."

Zeke's eyebrows shot up in something similar to recognition. "Shauna told me one girl asked her for gloves, and she said she was very nice and different from the others. A little shy."

"That could be her."

"Why do you think she put on gloves?"

"I have no idea, but I didn't mind in the slightest. At least one dance without having to hold a sweaty palm."

They had arrived at the back entrance to the ballroom. It was the moment for them to split ways. While Tobias would enter through the double doors that led directly onto the podium, Zeke would use the main entrance and take his position along one of the walls.

"Good luck with the dancing. I hope the girl with the gloves has made it through the first week," the young guard said and patted the prince on the shoulder.

"Thanks."

Then Tobias was alone again, waiting for the music to begin and for Jeanine to officially open the ball.

And as he stood on the podium to accept the welcoming applause from the crowd, his gaze wandered over the faces, trying to find the one he was looking for. A smile played at the corner of his lips when he did.


	11. Chapter 11

Beatrice somehow felt the prince's eyes on her. She didn't know how it was possible, but when she looked up to the podium the moment a strange sensation came up in her belly, his eyes were staring directly into hers. For a few precious seconds, she maintained eye contact with him. She would never have been courageous enough to keep it up this long if it hadn't been for the mixture of shock and surprise that rendered her unable to move at first. The spell was broken when the queen started her welcoming speech, but Beatrice didn't pay much attention. She was still trying to make sense of what she felt.

Christina had obviously listened to what the queen had said, which was a blessing, for otherwise Beatrice would have missed the news that about a quarter of the contestants had already failed to complete the tasks they'd been given. But apparently, also a lot of the remaining girls had managed to gain their first gemstone. Those who had made a point of parading them around.

"We should separate and try to find out more about the kind of tasks they had to face in the different provinces. It might help us decide where to go next and what to expect," Christina suggested after she had summarized the queen's speech for Beatrice.

"Isn't that cheating?" she whispered back at her friend, drawing her eyes away from the prince and his pretty dance partner whom he'd chosen to offer the first dance.

"No, why? It's not forbidden to keep our eyes and ears open."

"But Fiona said we're not allowed to talk about our task."

"Well, not in detail. But in general, I suppose we can. Also, it would be a huge disadvantage if others exchange knowledge and we don't. You don't have to tell them _everything_, just share some major facts to gain their trust. Maybe we can find out something useful."

"What about cherishing the truth? I thought you didn't lie in Candor."

"We don't. Besides, I never told you to lie. You just don't... always share the whole truth. You get to choose what to say and what not to say."

"Oh, I see..." Beatrice nodded. "And choose wisely, I suppose?"

"Exactly. So, I'll try my luck over there." Christina pointed to a group of girls talking animatedly on their left. "See you later."

"Yes, until later."

Beatrice watched her friend go over and introduce herself into the conversation. It seemed to come naturally to her, nothing she had to work up courage for. Well, unlike herself. It seemed much more difficult than the actual task. But perhaps it wasn't, since her little box still remained shut with its sevenfold locks.

She watched the people in the ballroom, most of them either engaging in conversation, watching the dancers or dancing themselves. In the corner, she spotted Lynn and Marlene sitting together. They weren't talking, so it would be easier to start a conversation than to become part of an already ongoing one.

Beatrice made her way over to them and was greeted friendly by Marlene and scrutinized from head to toe by Lynn. What was wrong with that girl? Didn't they learn manners at all in Dauntless? No, that couldn't be it, for Marlene was open for communication.

"Beatrice! You look beautiful in that dress! So when did you get back? I didn't see you around yesterday," she began.

"Oh, Christina and I spent another day in Amity. We only returned this afternoon. And thanks for the nice words. You look good, too. Both of you."

Marlene's eyes lit up at the compliment, while Lynn just rolled hers. "What do you want, Abnegation girl?"

"Hey, no need to be impolite, Lynn!" Marlene chastised her friend. "She's just saying hello."

"Whatever."

"I don't know why you're so angry at me, have I done anything wrong?" Beatrice asked. She wasn't used to someone being this unapproachable.

"_All of this_ is wrong," Lynn snorted. "Excuse me."

With that, she got up and walked away, leaving the other two girls staring after her.

"I'm really sorry if I've done something to offend her. I just don't know what it could be," Beatrice muttered.

"Oh, don't worry too much about her. She's always been a little blunt, you know? It's quite common in Dauntless, some of us are not unlike the Candor. We're taught to fight, not to avoid fights. Although, in this case, I don't know what's her issue. Ever since I told her I wanted to join the competition, she's been acting strange. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even want the prince, not at all, but she wouldn't let me go on my own," Marlene tried to explain. "I'm not sure, but I think she partly regrets being in this competition now, with no way out other than through."

"I see," Beatrice replied, although she would have to think more about this to make sense of it.

"So, your additional day in Amity, did it help with the box?"

"What?"

"Did it unlock a lock? I guess that's why you stayed?"

Beatrice took a deep breath. "No, nothing happened."

Marlene shrugged. "It was worth trying, wasn't it? One of my locks opened sometime during our journey back to the castle, but I have no idea why. I haven't done anything. Lynn's didn't."

"That means that it _can_ work, at least. It is strange though, not knowing how to continue with that task. I mean, if you can't even say what it was that opened the first lock..."

"That's why Lynn and I decided to take on the Dauntless challenge next. I bet its requirements will be much more specific. We'll know if we've passed or not by the end of the week. Also, from what I've heard, most of the girls who went to visit their home province managed to earn their first gemstone. Only those who went to Amity didn't get one, since it's not possible to do in only a week. That's why a big group wants to go there next, so they'll have enough time to complete it afterwards. They must have noticed that none of us has gotten a stone, but also nobody failed in Amity. So, it's a safe bet."

"That's... insightful. Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome. You're nice, Beatrice. I like you. But you need to work on your attitude. Get tougher, get fitter, or you probably won't make it. Not everyone is as open as I am. In fact, most aren't. Others, you'd have to _ask_ for information, they wouldn't tell you of their own volition."

"But why do you?"

"Like I said, I like you. You're the only one from Abnegation here, which means you're most likely the most daring where you come from, but in Dauntless, they're all much bolder than you are, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"That's rather selfless of you."

"I could start you off with a bit of basic physical training tomorrow, before we leave. Show you some techniques to practice until next week."

"Wait, are you trying to be selfless on purpose? I mean, to open a lock?" Beatrice asked suspiciously.

"Maybe, partially. It's a win-win, don't you think?"

"Yes," Beatrice nodded, seizing the opportunity, "yes, I think it is."

* * *

Beatrice waited for the prince to ask her to dance all night. Every time he walked into her direction, she took a deep breath and straightened her back, but he always diverted to another girl.

_Of course, they're all prettier than me... taller... more captivating... _

She tried not to watch the prince dance with the other girls, since it only fuelled this treacherous little voice inside her head that kept whispering her insecurities back at her and that she didn't manage to shut down.

The ball was almost over when, finally, a hand held open in front of her invited her to grasp it. The prince closed his fingers around her hand as she placed it in his palm, and then he led her onto the dance floor the way he had done with countless others before. How he could still suffer from lack of circulation after all this dancing she didn't know, for she could feel the prince's cold skin even through her glove as she took his hand. His other hand that he carefully placed on her shoulder blade wasn't any warmer and sent a shiver down her spine. Oddly enough, it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

The ensemble played a slow waltz, which somehow made her more nervous than the faster one they had danced to the week before. Slow dancing left her with more time to overthink what she was doing.

"Sorry I'm not the best dancer," she apologized quietly, avoiding the prince's gaze.

"Don't worry, me neither," he replied under his breath.

She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks when her clumsy attempts at dancing seemed to also get the prince out of step. It took several awkward beats until they had found their rhythm and finally moved their feet in unison. In her mind, she was feverishly counting her steps: _One, two, three - four, five, six - one, two, three..._

"You're quiet," the prince remarked after a minute. Or was it even a minute that had passed? Two? She had lost track of time.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It makes for a nice change."

"How so?"

"Most girls keep talking about themselves all the time, but not you. You're different."

His statement was simple, yet it caused strange ripples of... was it pride?... inside her. She wanted to reply, but she couldn't think of how to.

_You're different.._. In a good way or in a bad? What did he mean?

"Different how?" she finally asked after they had completed another round around the dance floor.

"You keep your thoughts to yourself. You're the only one who doesn't tell me what she's thinking."

Beatrice plucked up the courage to look up into the prince's eyes. "You want to know what I'm thinking?"

"If you don't mind sharing your thoughts with me, then yes."

He blinked, as if taken aback by his admission. Beatrice smiled softly at him.

"What I was thinking through most of this song was just... one, two, three - four, five, six - one, two, three - four..." she confessed.

At her words, the prince started smiling, a tiny twitch at the corners of his mouth at first, and Beatrice watched it grow and spread over his face until it reached his eyes and ended in a chuckle that nobody else but her could hear over the last beats of the song.

The dance was over sooner than she would have liked, which surprised her. She had somehow gotten comfortable on the dance floor. But protocol demanded they'd separate after one song, so the prince thanked her as he slowly withdrew his hand from her shoulder.

"It was a pleasure to dance with you again, Beatrice."

She was too stunned that he remembered her name to reply anything before he had gone to talk to one of his guards, a man who wasn't much older than the prince and who eyed her curiously. She hastily turned around to find Christina. Right. They had to focus on the next challenge. There wasn't much time left to discuss their plans and to decide where to continue tomorrow. Right. Focus. Christina. Challenge.

Beatrice didn't notice the queen staring at her from her throne in the middle of the podium.


	12. Chapter 12

_Where to go next? Candor or Abnegation? Abnegation or Candor?_

_How was she different? How did it affect her chances to win the competition?_

_Keeping friends close, but enemies closer? What enemies? Did she miss anything obvious?_

_Candor or Abnegation? Abnegation or Candor?_

_How was her mother? Had she heard about her participation in the contest? What would she say? What would her father say? Her brother?_

_How was she supposed to open the box? Seven locks, why did it have to be this many? What to do about them next? _

_Candor or Abnegation? Abnegation or Candor?_

Enough!

Beatrice had to put a stop to her thoughts going round in endless circles. There was no rest in sight for her, yet she so desperately needed it. She glanced over at Christina sleeping peacefully in her bed and envied that she didn't mind their late discussion about which province to choose next right before going to bed.

She turned around to face the wall, one last attempt to fall asleep. But it didn't work. Fine then. She surrendered to insomnia and swung her legs out of bed. With as little noise as possible, she put on her shoes and slipped into her jacket. On her way out, the pair of gloves caught her eye, and she took those as well. A little more protection against the cold outside wouldn't hurt, and she needed to be outside now.

But where to go? The castle had a different atmosphere at night, whit all the torches extinguished and nobody wandering the corridors. Her own breathing was loud in the deafening silence as she walked around, looking for a terrace that would allow her to breathe some fresh air.

A crisp breeze tickled her skin before she was able to see the open door leading onto a balcony.

* * *

The cold usually didn't bother Tobias. He had become so used to it that he hardly even noticed it at all.

But tonight was different from other nights. While he stood in his favorite spot with his forearms resting on the railing and stared out into the darkness, he suddenly shivered. It was such an unfamiliar sensation that he didn't recognize it. Worried about his shaking fingers, he stretched his arms up above his head and circled his wrists. It helped, at least for a while. But the sensation returned. Frowning, he stretched his arms again. Perhaps he was just exhausted from all this dancing and needed to rest._ Surely_, he needed to rest. He simply hadn't been able to find any, hence him being out of bed in the middle of the night.

As he turned around, he froze mid-step. A figure stood in the door frame, wrapped in dark fabric. He couldn't make out the face in the dark.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" he commanded.

The figure stepped forwards with her head down and muttered, "Beatrice Prior. Your Majesty, I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you."

His tone softened immediately as the harshness in it made room for curiosity. "Beatrice? What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I went looking for a place to go and get some fresh air. I do that at home, too, when I can't rest."

"Oh, really? I like coming here in sleepless nights, too. Come over."

He held out a hand towards her, since she seemed unsure whether to stay or leave, and he rather wanted her to stay and keep him company.

"Is that appropriate?" Beatrice asked, yet stepped forwards and took his hand.

"I don't care." Beatrice looked at him skeptically, so he added, "It's my stepmother who does everything according to protocol, not me."

He pulled her towards him, and, to his astonishment, she closed the distance between them. He didn't know what to do now, with her so close to him, so he let go of her hand and turned to the railing once more. She copied his stance right next to him. Her long hair framed her face nicely now that it wasn't put up into a neat bun.

"So, what is it we're looking at down there?" Beatrice asked and pointed to the grounds that lay below.

Thankful for something to talk about, Tobias started to explain, "There on the left are the royal gardens. My parents and their ancestors used to host receptions there back when the flowers were in full bloom. It must have been beautiful. Now only a few frozen flowers remain, but they are all white, covered in hoarfrost."

"Can you still remember that? I mean, the flowers... how they looked, how they smelled?"

"No, sadly not. Or at least not really. I still remember seeing them, but it's such a distant memory that it's more like remembering a painting you've seen a long time ago."

"My mother keeps a dried flower bouquet at home. It was a present from my father, and she never had the heart to throw it away, although it looks horribly fragile and sad by now. She says it's good to have a reminder of how things once were and how they could become again in the future."

"Do you still believe that?"

"You don't?"

"No, not anymore. This winter has been going on so long, and I believe summer coming back is nothing but a fairy tale people keep telling each other to cope with reality."

"That's... even sadder. Then I will just have to hold on to hope for the both of us."

Tobias looked at her, catching her eyes for a moment before she averted her eyes. Did she just blush? It was hard to tell with the lack of light.

Following her gaze, he cleared his throat and carried on, "That's the cemetery over there. The smaller section to the right is where the most loyal soldiers are buried. The bigger tombs are for members of the royal family."

He swallowed as he thought of the last funeral that had been held there. He hadn't thought of it in years, but now he somehow felt the urgent need to share more with the girl by his side.

"My mother... She wasn't put in a tomb. Her will said she wanted to be laid to rest in a glass coffin. So that's what they bedded her in. They put it in the cave over there. You can hardly see the entrance behind that big oak tree, especially at night."

"Do you visit her sometimes?"

"Rarely. I mean, what's the point? It's not as if she can hear me. She won't ever wake up again, so I save me the pain of having to see her." At the shocked expression that Beatrice had on her face, he hurried to add, "It's not as creepy as it sounds. She looks perfectly normal, as if she was just sleeping. The frost preserves her body from decompensation."

His resignation went so deep that he was able to say it as if he was talking about something trivial. But it wasn't, and deep down, behind the carefully erected walls around his heart, he knew.

Beatrice shifted closer to his side without touching him, except for her left hand that lingered over his right one in hesitation before she let it rest on his. She didn't say anything, just looked at their joined hands as she slowly moved her thumb over the back of his hand, the fabric of her glove soft against his cold skin.

Silence took on another quality with her. It felt no longer dead and lonely, but comforting and companionable.

Eventually, Beatrice started to shiver.

"I should probably go and get some rest now. I have a new task to complete tomorrow," she said.

"Yes, you're right. You should go inside."

What he said was contrary to what he felt. He didn't want her to go. Not yet. But he didn't want to keep her awake when sleep was what she needed now. From the rumors going around, Jeanine didn't make it easy for the girls. He considered that had to have been expected, but he hadn't paid attention to her plans. Why had he just let her design the tasks and hadn't at least asked to be heard?

Now was not the moment to dwell on those thoughts. Not when he had one last moment to share with Beatrice. She stood face to face with him now, their hands still entwined.

"Thank you for the dance," she said politely.

"Thank you for your silence," he replied.

And suddenly, telling her wasn't enough. He wanted to show her how much he appreciated her presence, both in the ballroom and here on the balcony.

"May I?" he whispered as his fingers took hold of the hem of her glove.

"Yes," Beatrice breathed, watching him as he slowly peeled the fabric down her forearm and off her hand.

He placed the glove on the railing without giving it another thought. Holding Beatrice's hand in his without a barrier to their touch felt wonderful. They exchanged a shy smile, and he hoped he didn't overstep the mark as he simultaneously raised her hand and bowed down to place a delicate kiss on the back of her hand. Her skin was soft under his lips as he let his mouth linger a moment longer than strictly necessary to show her he cared.

"You really are different, Beatrice."

"Different how?" she asked, for the second time tonight, her voice low.

"You don't judge," he said simply, for that was what it came down to.

"That's because I don't like to be judged either," she replied. "Goodnight, Your Majesty."

"Please, it's Tobias. At least when it's just the two of us."

"Then goodnight Tobias."

She squeezed his hand with gentle pressure before she let go and left. Tobias looked after her long after she had gone. The call of an owl somewhere in the distance made him turn to the railing once more where the glove lay, forgotten. He picked it up and held it as if it were something far more precious than just a simple piece of clothing before he tucked it away in his coat. He hoped he'd have a chance to return it to Beatrice the night of the next ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this little extra fourtris chapter ;-).


	13. Chapter 13

"Wake up, Beatrice, come on! We need to hurry."

Someone shook her shoulder. Insistently.

"Breakfast will be served soon, and we still need to decide if we go to Candor or Abnegation first. And you said you wanted to do some training with Marlene? I wonder when you're going to have time for _that_, too. _Get up!_"

Christina was right. Beatrice blinked at her friend. She was already dressed, her hair was done, and she looked at Beatrice expectantly.

"Oh, great, now that you're awake, put on some clothes and pin up your hair, I'm starving. I was looking forward to this breakfast all week, so I don't want to miss any of it just because you sleep like a troll. You certainly snore like one."

Beatrice wasn't used to being talked to this early after waking up, so she just grabbed the stack of clothes Christina put into her lap and scrambled out of bed to get dressed. When she looked in the mirror, she realized her hair was all over the place. She hastily fixed it into a bun. It had never taken her much time to get ready for the day.

Breakfast was just as delicious as in the week before. There were several more empty seats this morning than back then, so she and Christina had chosen to sit a little off from the rest of the girls to talk about their plans.

They had exchanged what each had learned from the rest of the contestants last night after the ball. Their information coincided. Most girls who had chosen to visit their own province first were still in the competition, and nobody had failed Amity. But none of the girls who had started there had won the corresponding gemstone either. Christina had also heard that the highest number of failures had taken place in Dauntless.

Based on that knowledge, they had already narrowed their options down to Candor and Abnegation as their next two provinces. Probably Erudite after that, but it was hard to say, since they hadn't heard anything about the actual tasks. Dauntless would be the last place to visit, after they'd had some time for training. Maybe until then, there'd be some insight into what was to do there.

Discussing their options, Christina finally gave in to Beatrice's wish to choose Abnegation next.

"Right, we'll go there first so you can check on your mother. But after that, we'll do Candor. I want to visit my family, too," she said.

"Thank you. I'm really anxious to see my mother. She wasn't well when I left, and they expect me to return any day now. I don't want them to worry."

Christina frowned at her. "Don't you think they've heard of the competition by now?"

"Yes, I suppose. But they would never expect me to take part in it. I have never done anything as reckless as this before in my life."

"Me neither, probably. Not _this_ reckless."

"See, I haven't done _anything_ reckless, as far as I can remember."

"It's good you've changed that. You're too vivid to spend all your life in Abnegation with all the strict rules you have there."

"I'm not sure if it was my wisest decision to come here, but I agree, it's definitely more exciting than anything else I've experienced."

"You most certainly look happy this morning, so you can't be all wrong."

"I _do_ feel lighthearted today."

"Could that have to do with the dance last night?"

"Maybe. He didn't seem to be too keen on asking me to dance, though. It was the very last dance of the evening." - "What?" she added when Christina looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Never heard the saying _'Save the best for last'_? Also, there were only like three times the prince smiled yesterday, and only when he was with you did it also reach his eyes."

"Oh, did it?"

"Phew, don't pretend you haven't noticed. I know you don't go out much in Abnegation, you just get married at some point, but you can't be that oblivious to the effect you have on the prince."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not to everyone, I suppose. But I'm from Candor, I'm used to reading body language and small signals. And he definitely likes you."

She let it sink in. Was it easy to see? Did he like her? Alright, he had to, in a way, or he hadn't kissed her hand last night. Oh, what that little kiss had done to her insides... Her stomach twisted as she remembered his cool lips and his warm breath on her skin.

* * *

Beatrice had regained her focus by the time she met with Marlene. They had chosen to train in an inner courtyard of the castle that didn't expose them to the rest of the girls. Not that they seemed interested in anything other than the second task this morning. It had been easy to sneak away after breakfast, with the hustle and bustle going on in the hallways.

Christina had refused to join them, she had wanted to go packing up their belongings and let Beatrice show her what she'd learned later. They would have to practice a lot anyway.

"So, are you ready to ripple your muscles?" Marlene asked Beatrice as soon as they'd both arrived at their meeting point.

"I don't have many, but I'm determined to use them."

"That's the right spirit! You need to believe in yourself and your abilities, otherwise you will _never_ win a fight. Your opponents can sense weakness, so get rid of it. As for your missing muscles, you can work on them. I'll show you some exercises you can do. You won't need anything other than your body weight for those. If you keep training every day, you'll get stronger, I promise."

"Alright, then let's get started."

It wasn't that difficult to learn the different movements that Marlene showed her. The hard part was to repeat them over and over, as her muscles started to burn way too soon. What seemed effortless for a girl from Dauntless required all the determination a girl from Abnegation could muster.

After going through the exercises, Marlene guided Beatrice through a few basic fighting techniques, and it was evident how much practice it would require to learn those. Beatrice still hoped she wouldn't need them, but she wanted to be prepared.

An hour went by until the girls parted ways and each went to pick up their bags.

Christina was chatting with the maid when Beatrice arrived at their chamber.

"Abnegation, that's an interesting choice. From what I've heard, only two girls went there last week, and only one of them could fulfill the task. I wonder what it was, I didn't imagine it to be that difficult that you could actually fail it."

"That's interesting. But I'm sure we've made our decision. It's my friend's home province, so the odds are in our favor."

Beatrice cleared her throat to make her presence known. Both girls turned her way.

"Hello, you must be Beatrice. I'm Shauna," the maid introduced herself.

"Hello, Shauna," she replied. "Thank you for taking care of our room while we're away."

"Oh, that's my job. Anyway, good luck this week. I'll leave you to get ready. Don't be angry if I ask for both your names again next week, I'm trying to learn them all, but there are a lot. I suppose it'll get easier once there are fewer of you left."

With that, she walked through the door and on to whatever it was she had to do next. Her last sentence left Beatrice and Christina slightly perplexed.

"Okay, no use in waiting any longer. Let's go pick a sphere," Christina eventually encouraged.

"Yes, we have a task to complete."

* * *

Tobias awoke later than he usually did. He had tossed and turned in his bed for hours before his mind had calmed down enough to drift off into sleep after his late night encounter with Beatrice. Nonetheless, he was more relaxed than most days in which he got more hours of sleep. His gaze fell on the glove on his nightstand, and he touched it lightly, like he had done when it had still been covering Beatrice's skin. Now he had forgotten to ask her why she was wearing it. The skin underneath was flawless from what he had been able to see, so that couldn't be the reason.

Before he went into the dining hall for breakfast, he stopped by his father's chamber. After his attempts at interrogation yesterday he deserved to know that he had fulfilled his duties as heir to the throne and danced with all the girls as it was expected from him.

The king was still half asleep despite the advanced time. He was only half-aware of his son telling him about the ball, too weak to focus on the words this morning. Tobias was brief in his depictions of the ball and soon let him rest again.

He stood and walked over to the window to open it. Fresh air would be beneficial. He took a deep breath as crisp morning air drifted inside. A voice caught his attention, and he leaned over the ledge to see what was going on in the lower courtyard. Two girls were exercising there, ignoring the snow on the ground as they went through different fighting techniques. Why wasn't he overly surprised that one of them was Beatrice?

He watched her repeat the movements the other girl showed her and was impressed by how fast she seemed to get the hang of the basics. It was obvious she'd never had this kind of training before, sure, but he had once started from scratch himself. Amar, Zeke's father, had been a great instructor for the both of them when they had still been children and had spent much time with them in the gardens to teach them how to defend themselves. Uriah, Zeke's younger brother, had often been watching and had tried to compete with them, but he had been too small to really fight them at the time. Now, Uriah rarely visited his brother. He was committed to take care of their mother back in Dauntless. She had turned bedlam after her husband's disappearance.

And Tobias himself hadn't fought with Zeke in ages, had turned his offers down so often that he'd stopped asking him to train alongside him. Maybe he should simply ignore his lack of motivation and start training again. If Beatrice, this thin girl from Abnegation, found it in her to learn fighting techniques, if she somehow brought up enough hope to believe it might help her, hope that she had a chance to win this competition against all odds, then he should be able to leave his comfort zone, too, and gain some strength.

Tobias observed the girls from above until they were done. When there was no need for him to lean out of the window any longer, he turned towards his father once more to place a kiss on his forehead before he left to find his guard.

The king, caught in a drowsy state between sleep and wakefulness, wondered if this little gesture of affection had been real or just an imagination his mind had made up.

* * *

When the prince wasn't able to fall asleep the next night, he took a different route through the castle. Instead of watching the grounds from the upper balcony, he wanted to actually _be_ there. The snow scrunched in the night's silence as he walked between frozen flowers waiting in their flower beds, as if the sun might come out any day to kiss them back to life.

The whole garden was dead. Silent. A movement in the bushes beside him startled him. He stopped and stared, tense, trying to see who or what caused the rustling of lifeless leaves. Relief flooded through him as a dove skipped out from under the twigs. What was going on with him that he'd let himself get distracted by some random animal? How very good that Zeke wasn't with him, or he'd have to endure his teasing tomorrow. He looked down at the dove and it seemed to stare back at him. Apparently, it was scared. Great, that's how far his reputation as being heartless went these days. As he started walking again, the bird took flight and disappeared into the sky.

Tobias envied it for the freedom of being able to set out its wings and fly to wherever it wanted to.

His steps slowed as he reached the tombstones sticking out of the ground, rows and rows with names and dates of past kings and queens on them. He sneaked around the old oak tree and hesitated for a moment to collect himself before he set foot into the cave. The darkness inside was all-consuming, and he reached for the matches and torch he had brought with him. Once the fire was burning bright enough that he could see where he was going, he advanced further into the cavern. There were no dangers to expect in here other than the cold breath of death itself.

His uneven breathing betrayed his composure as he stepped closer to the coffin until he stopped right next to it. The flames cast haunting shadows on the rough stone around him as he stood and looked at his mother. She appeared as young and beautiful as on the day she'd died, ice crystals on the edges of her coffin signalling that the temperature inside this cave constantly stayed below freezing point. It was surreal seeing her. It always was. It disturbed him in ways he didn't have words to explain, so he usually avoided coming here. Only tonight, he needed to see her, see for himself that she had once been a part of his life and not an imagination.

The memories he had of her were faint, but he was determined to brighten them again, however painful the process. He needed to. It was the only way he'd be able to keep that tiny flicker of hope that had started to glimmer inside him alive. It would smother forever if he couldn't.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers,
> 
> first things first: I hope you're all well despite the weirdness of this past week. I sometimes feel as if I had accidentally stumbled into a movie. Please stay safe and try to do your part by staying home as much as you can. Sending love and hugs to all of you ❤🤗 .
> 
> So far, I've been busy organizing things and communicating with family and friends. This update comes a little late because of that. I just didn't have the time and focus to sit down and edit the chapter. I can't promise that there will be a chapter next week, but I promise I'll try.
> 
> Sending more love and more hugs to all of you ❤🤗 . And a new chapter.

"Is it still far?" Christina gasped after having walked the whole day.

"Not anymore," Beatrice assured her, feeling the exhaustion deep in her bones, too. "Maybe another hour, then we should be there."

"Another hour, that sounds like an eternity."

"I know it's a long hike, but we can't stop now. Compared to how far we've already come today, it's really not much that's missing."

"But my feet hurt. How can you do this without complaining? You've even had extra training with Marlene. Why don't your feet hurt?"

"Oh, I assure you, they do. I'm just used to suppress lamenting over personal issues. It isn't helpful for anyone."

"So what you are saying is that in Abnegation you're not allowed to speak out about your problems?"

"You are allowed, it's just not common. We hold back our own concerns for the sake of other people. There is no need to burden them, especially with something they cannot change."

"I don't understand. I always thought Abnegation people were all about helping each other. But how do you do that without saying how to?"

"By observing, just like you do in Candor. The focus is more on situations and circumstances than body language though, since we try not to give away our emotions. There is always something you can do for someone, you don't necessarily have to ask. It's obvious, most of the time."

"Maybe for you, since you grew up like this. For me, it's not as easy."

"I've noticed."

"What do you mean? Did I say anything wrong?"

"No, you haven't. It's just that I had to get used to you being so open and talking about things without much of a filter."

"Where I come from that's not a bad thing."

"It isn't. But there are situations when it's wiser to keep silent and observe quietly."

"There's also situations when it's wiser to say or do something instead of waiting and letting chances pass you by."

"I'm sure. That's why we have to learn how to distinguish one situation from the other. We have to adapt to different conditions accordingly to make it through all five tests."

"You're damn smart, are you sure you're from here and not from Erudite?"

"Yes, I am. And watch your tongue."

"Easy, I just wanted to get a reaction from you that's not covered with politeness."

"Well, you did."

"You're learning."

"Let's hurry up now, it'll get dark soon."

* * *

Less than an hour had passed when Beatrice spotted her family's wooden cabin. Smoke rose out of the chimney, and the flickering light cast by fire shone through the curtains that covered the windows.

"We're there," she whispered, her heart beating faster now that she was moments away from seeing her family. She hadn't realized how much she missed them.

"Finally," Christina sighed. "I thought we'd never make it."

"Come, let's get inside."

The last few steps to the door were easier than all the other ones they'd taken since leaving the castle earlier.

Beatrice knocked, six times.

"It's a pattern we use to show it's a family member," she explained before she pushed the door open, and they both stumbled inside.

Warmth greeted them as well as three faces staring at them from the sparsely laid table.

"Beatrice." Natalie was the first to speak. She tried to push herself out of her chair, but her arms trembled as she propped her hands on the table for support.

"Mum, don't. You don't have to get up." Beatrice hurried over to her mother and gently lay her arms around her as she embraced her. She couldn't stop herself, and didn't want to, even if she had brought a visitor.

"Child, what are you doing here? We didn't expect you back so soon. Not that we're not happy to see you, don't ever doubt that," her father said as she let go of her mother.

"There's a lot I have to tell you. But first, let me introduce you to my friend Christina. Christina, these are my mother Natalie, my father Andrew and my brother Caleb."

"Nice to meet you," Christina said and stepped forward with her hand outstretched. Andrew and Caleb just stared at her in surprise, whereas Natalie took her hand and shook it, weakly though.

"Christina, be our guest. Sit down with us. We don't have much here in Abnegation, but what we have, we share."

"Thank you."

After hanging their cloaks close to the fireplace to dry them, both girls joined Beatrice's family at the table. Caleb had fetched two more bowls from the cupboard and was now ladling soup into them.

"So, what is it that you want to tell us?" he asked.

"Caleb, don't be curious."

"Sorry, father. It's just that Beatrice has already said she had news to share with us."

"It's alright," Beatrice reassured. "There is indeed a lot that has happened since I left."

They all looked at her expectantly, but nobody asked further questions. They were back to showing their usual polite restraint. After the last days at the castle and in Amity, it suddenly seemed strange to Beatrice, somehow unnatural. Why was curiosity considered bad even when it was about a daughter's or sister's experiences?

"Okay, please hear me out. Things didn't go as planned. On my way through our province I heard rumors about a competition at the castle run by the royal family to find a wife for the prince. I decided to find out more about it and then joined. That's how I met Christina, and we spent the last week in Amity and went to see the fairies, and..."

"You did _what_!?" Caleb's voice was hard and reproachful as he let his spoon sink.

"I joined a competition in which I have to complete a task in each province, and if I win, I get to marry the prince."

"_Marry the prince_? Why would you? You don't even know him. I'd never thought you could be this naive, Beatrice. You want to leave us to go and live in the castle? With a man... boy who is known to not have a heart to give out to anyone? He's as cold as snow."

"That's not true," Beatrice replied, her voice stronger than she'd ever heard it in a conversation with her brother. Neither of them usually rose their voice.

"Are you defending him already? Are you that power-hungry that you'd go and live with that human ice block instead of staying in Abnegation were you belong? Is this not _sufficient_ for you anymore?"

"Enough," Natalie interrupted them. She inhaled shakily before she continued. "That's enough for now, Caleb. Your sister asked us to hear her out, and we will do that without judging."

"Mother, didn't you listen to her? She's putting herself in danger, putting _you_ in danger. She was supposed to sell goods, so we have money to buy more of your medicine, and now she's wasting her time - _your time_ \- with a stupid and dangerous competition instead of doing what she was told."

"You don't have to like what she's doing, Caleb. I don't like to see my daughter putting herself in danger either._ But_ she has to make her own decisions, and apparently she already has. She's letting us know about it, not asking for permission."

"Father, do you think like that, too?" he asked.

Andrew took some time until he spoke. He wasn't a man of many words, and he always thought twice about everything he said. For Beatrice, it wasn't unusual to wait for him to reply, but she noticed how the tension at the table made Christina shift uneasily beside her.

"Well, I don't like that you do this Beatrice, for the reasons your mother has listed. It's dangerous, it's probably not worth it. But I once was young, too, young and hopeful. So I understand how powerful hope can be."

That seemed to take the wind out of Caleb's sails, for he opened and shut his mouth twice before he muttered something under his breath and continued to eat his soup without another word.

"Please, Beatrice, do go on," Natalie encouraged her daughter when the silence got too thick.

"Thank you, mother. I don't have much else to add. We're not allowed to talk about our tasks with anyone who's not involved, so I can't tell you what exactly it is that we have to do here in Abnegation. It sounds manageable, though. We'll probably need three days to complete it, and then we'll stop by a second time on our way back."

"We'd be happy to welcome you again, anytime, my dear," Natalie said and patted Beatrice's hand weakly.

"So how about you? How are you? What have you been up to this last week?"

"Oh, there's really nothing interesting enough to share about last week."

"_Nothing interesting?_" Caleb snorted. It was so unlike him to behave like that with his feet under their parents' table. "Mother fainted a few days ago. She was unconscious for a minute or two, and if we hadn't been home to assist her getting back up from the floor, she'd have been lying there all day."

"Caleb! That's not yours to tell."

"No, mother? Then whose is it? You wouldn't tell her, and neither would you, father. All you care about is that Beatrice is back, even if it's just for a night. Now will you please excuse me?"

His chair screeched as he stood and hurried outside. They stared after him. Beatrice couldn't remember that her brother had ever walked out on their parents.

"I'll go after him," Andrew said after he had digested the first shock. He got up and wrapped himself in a gray cloak before he grabbed another one, Caleb's, to follow his son outside.

"I'm sorry you had to witness this, Christina. Things have been difficult for him lately," Natalie apologized.

"That's fine, my mother and sister constantly fight like this, too," Christina said.

Beatrice was sure it was supposed to be comforting, but it only reminded her that in her family, things like this usually didn't happen. Was she tearing them all apart by taking part in this competition? Had she come to the wrong decision?

Her mother cleared her throat. Her voice was small as she mumbled, "We usually don't."

* * *

When Beatrice and Christina woke up, Caleb had already left the cabin. Andrew had almost finished his cereal porridge and was about to follow him into the woods.

"Beatrice, Christina, good morning," he greeted the girls from where he was sitting on the simple bench by the table. "I have to go soon, Caleb and I have to search firewood and if we're lucky we'll find a rabbit stuck in one of our traps. We haven't checked them in a few days."

"Why did Caleb leave early? Because he's still angry with me?" Beatrice asked.

"Well, your brother can be stubborn at times, not unlike you."

Beatrice shrugged. "There are things that are worth being stubborn about and others that aren't."

"He's going to calm down, don't worry." Andrew got up and put a hand on Beatrice's shoulder. "Be careful, please. I expect you to return on Thursday. Then we'll have more time to talk about this competition. Look after your mother this morning, will you?"

"Alright, father."

Andrew gave her one last assuring look and then put on his shoes and cloak and left.

"Where is your mum, anyway?" Christina asked.

Beatrice roasted slices of dried bread and heated water in a kettle above the fire. Then she started looking into small pots and ceramic bowls stocked on the shelf.

"Still in bed. She has problems getting up in the morning. Her blood pressure is too low and her legs are too weak. She needs her tea and a small breakfast first."

"Is it like that every day?"

"Lately yes. She was better, before. We had bought medicine in Erudite that made her feel better, but now there's nothing left. After the last dose, she got a little worse every day. I need to earn money to buy more of it. It's the only thing that helps. We've tried all kinds of herbal infusions, but nothing can compare to this elixir."

"Is that why you joined the competition? To earn money so you can buy your mother's medicine?"

Beatrice found what she was looking for and scooped some dried leaves out of a glass into the boiling water.

"Yes, that's the idea."

"That's very... selfless."

Beatrice didn't reply. Instead, she focused on stirring the tea with a wooden spoon. The leaves left green swirls in the water.

"Would you hand me the small black bag that's in my jacket, please? Left side," she said instead.

Christina raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on the change of topic. She wordlessly fetched the little bag and handed it over to her friend. Beatrice loosened the ribbon that was keeping it closed and reached inside to pull out a piece of asymmetric root covered in dried mud.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"I thought it could be useful to take some with us, you know? It made us feel warm and relaxed, and I want to try if it can help my mother get better, too."

"Did you ask Robert?"

Beatrice could feel the blush that had to be creeping up on her cheeks.

"No."

"So you _stole_ it?"

She was irritated that Christina sounded almost as if in awe of her.

"I wouldn't consider it stealing, since I collected it on the clearing. I pulled it out of the mud, so I didn't take it from any of the Amity."

"Beatrice, I must say I'm impressed."

"_'__There are situations when it's wiser to do something instead of letting chances pass you by'_ \- your words."

"Yes, I remember saying that, I just hadn't realized that you'd already internalized this so fast."

"I'm a quick learner."


	15. Chapter 15

Once the tea was brewed, and she had added a bit of the root, Beatrice went to her mother's bed and sat down at the edge of the straw mat.

"Mother, I have brought you something from Amity. It's a root they use during their ceremonies. It's relaxing and might make you feel better."

Natalie sat up and took the fictile cup that her daughter offered her.

"Epaticamey root?" she asked. "But that's very rare."

"Ah... I don't know what it's called, after all. I just drank it once, and we helped our Amity guide collecting more of it on our way back from the fairies."

"I've drunk it before, but that was many, _many_ years ago. I'm not surprised you found it close to where the fairies live. The Amity keep it a secret, or they used to, but it's the only place that I know of where you can find it."

She sat up further and took a sip. She closed her eyes as she savored the earthy taste.

"Mother, how do you know all that?" Beatrice asked, deciding to ignore her usual restraint towards her parents when it came to personal questions.

"I once was young, too, Beatrice, and I've travelled a lot in all the provinces. Now, tell me, when are you and Christina going to leave?"

"We want to exercise a bit first to improve our physical strength and other skills that might come in useful. After that, we'll have to go. But don't worry, I won't leave without saying goodbye first."

"Maybe I'll be out of bed by the time you finish your training. With the help of this special drink."

She rose the cup to her lips again to take another sip. Beatrice understood that she was supposed to leave her for the time being, so she went outside where Christina was already warming up by jumping on and off a tree stub.

They took turns inventing new exercises, and when they were finally out of breath, they took a break before they continued with the exercises Beatrice had learned from Marlene. Christina was a fast learner. Beatrice noticed that her coordination was much better than her own. She didn't mind, though, because that made her a good training partner. In addition to that, her honesty helped Beatrice correct the flaws in her posture right away before memorizing any motion sequence incorrectly once they got to practice the basic fighting techniques.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed when they actually decided they had had enough for now. They would still have to hike quite a bit in the afternoon. They stayed outside until their bodies had cooled down before they started to prepare a simple lunch in the kitchen. They had been given some food for the week, but it wasn't enough for the whole time. Still, Beatrice exchanged some of her fruit and vegetables for the plain snow potatoes her family used to survive on most of the time.

Natalie joined them at the table once the stew was cooking above the fire. She looked less tired and her cheeks had a soft rosy glow that Beatrice hadn't seen there in a long time. Not since they had run out of the elixir from Erudite.

"How are you, mother? You look much better."

"I _do_ feel better, thank you. Epaticamey root is known to boost your energy level, but gently. So I'm warmer and lighthearted now, which makes for such a comfortable distraction from the usual."

"That's great," Beatrice beamed, truly happy that she had done the right thing. "I have enough to last you for a few weeks. You only need just a pinch of it."

"That's even better news. But you two should take some with you, too. It's cold outside, and when you have to spend the nights outside, it will keep you warm and safe."

"But I brought it for you!" Beatrice protested. She didn't want to take any of it if it meant there was less for Natalie.

"But your mother is right," Christina interrupted. "We do have fabric to build a makeshift tent to spend the night in, but we could really use this little booster against the cold."

Beatrice wasn't convinced. Of course, Christina wanted some root for herself, and on a rational level, she understood her reasoning. But it still felt wrong. Natalie, on the other hand, knew her daughter well enough to know what she had to say to convince her.

"Please take something. That way, I will be less worried. I can't sleep when I'm worried, and if I can't sleep, I'll only get weaker, despite the root."

Beatrice sighed. "Fine," she gave in. "But mother, I can see straight through this strategy."

"I know you can," she nodded, smiling softly.

Beatrice cut of a few thin slices from the root, so paper thin you could almost see through it when you held it up against the light. She and Christina gathered the few things they'd taken out of their bags for the night and gathered some straw into two extra bags. They would need it to sleep on.

Beatrice was relieved to see her mother eat with more appetite than the evening before once the stew was ready. After lunch, they cleaned the dishes together, and when it was time to say goodbye, Natalie asked for a moment alone with her daughter.

"Sure, Natalie. I'll wait outside. Thank you for letting me stay with you," Christina said.

After the door had closed behind her, Natalie turned to her daughter and took both her hands in hers.

"Beatrice," she began. "It is true that I'm worried about you. I didn't just say it to convince you to take some Epaticamey root with you, although, yes, partially I did. But I also want to tell you that I'm proud of you. You follow your own way, and that's what every girl has to do eventually. Just let me give you some advice that will help you through every challenge you'll face: First of all, always be yourself. Never forget who you are and where you come from, but don't be afraid to learn more about yourself while you're out there. Second, trust yourself. That's easier said than done, believe me. And third, respect yourself. Don't let others decide what you're worth."

Beatrice swallowed, touched by her mothers honest words and the solemnity they radiated. Natalie usually didn't talk that much, and certainly she had never said things like this to her. Yet her trust was the most reassuring gift she had ever given her, and she would carry it with her inside her heart wherever she'd go.

"I appreciate your support, mum. I do, deeply."

Natalie leaned forward and touched her forehead to her daughter's in a rare gesture of physical affection.

"Stay safe, Beatrice," she said when they couldn't avoid the farewell any longer.

"I can't _tell_ you what we have to do here, but I can _show_ you," Beatrice smiled and fumbled in her coat pocket for the piece of parchment that had been inside the sphere. When she found it, she read it one last time and then handed it over to her mother. "Just so you know it's not dangerous. We'll be back soon, I promise."

"Thank you," Natalie said as her eyes skimmed over the words. She sat down on the kitchen bench and watched her daughter go. Then she remembered something.

"Beatrice." She waited until she had turned around again. "One last thing: The knife I gave you when you first left... it will help you in more than one way."

Beatrice took in the words, nodded and then finally left the cabin, leaving Natalie to read the task she'd have to complete again and again: _"Get a stone from the wall at the edge of the Dark Forest and take it back to the castle."_

* * *

The girls had been walking for a few hours, mostly in quiet, before they decided that it was time to build a place for the night. They put down their bags and Beatrice took the helm because she had spent more time outdoors than Christina had. She had chosen a small clearing in the forest as their resting place, where they could make a fire to keep them warm.

Once she had found a branch sticking out from a tree that had the right height and seemed stable enough, they covered it with the fabric. Then she instructed Christina to look for stones or heavier branches lying on the ground that they could use to weight down the fabric on both sides of the branch to form a tent they could sleep under. They were lucky there was little snow in this part of the province, so it was easy enough to swipe away the thin layer of flakes with the wet leaves underneath. Then they prepared their mattresses with the straw. Since they didn't have any additional blankets, their coats would have to be enough to slip under.

When the makeshift tent was ready, Beatrice showed Christina which kind of twigs and branches would make good firewood. She explained how they needed bigger logs with a certain girth, so they'd at least be dry inside, but also thinner pieces and dry leaves, if possible, to get the fire started. They had to hurry to collect enough before it turned too dark. Beatrice took out the knife her mother had given her and used it to peel away the damp bark from the thicker branches, then constructed a pyramid with them and stuffed the thinner pieces underneath after trying to dry them at least a bit with the fabric of their tent. Caleb had given her a box with three matches, so she couldn't afford to waste even a single one of them. Seeing no other option, she pulled some straw out of her simple mattress. It would have to work as tinder.

Christina paid close attention as she lighted the match and held it to the straw. They watched it catch fire quickly, and then Beatrice used a big piece of bark to fan the flames. They were lucky it worked, and soon they were sitting in front of the fire, warming their limbs and roasting potatoes in the embers they'd pulled a little to the side with a stick. It had taken time to collect enough clean snow to melt in the copper pot they had borrowed from Beatrice's parents to have some drinking water.

Finally, after their simple dinner and filling their water bottles for the next day, it was time to heat more water to brew a tea from the Epaticamey root. They were both looking forward to it, knowing the warming and relaxing effect it had.

Once they had settled down for the night with their cups in hand, Beatrice felt the tension being lifted off her shoulders with every sip she took. The remainder of the fire was still glowing a few feet away. Warmth spread inside her, not unlike when the prince had pressed his lips on the back of her hand.

"What are you smiling about?" Christina asked curiously.

"Just a memory."

"Care to be a little more specific? Come on, it's just the two of us."

"You could guess."

"Alright. So, judging from your far away smile and the soft blush on your cheeks, I'd say you're thinking about a boy."

Beatrice almost choked on her drink.

"Yes, and judging from_ that_ reaction, I guess that was the right assumption," Christina added proudly.

"I swear you're scary sometimes."

"I can live with that. But please, care to tell me a little more? Is it the prince? - Oh yes, it is the prince. I _knew_ it."

"Just because you watched us dance?"

"More from watching him smile at you and you smiling back at him, but yes. So, spill the beans, what did you two laugh about?"

"He asked me what I was thinking about while dancing, and I said it was mostly _'one, two, three - four, five, six'_. He must have found that funny."

Christina chuckled. "It _is_ funny."

"I'm just not a good dancer, I have to rely on counting," Beatrice replied, but it wasn't defensive. She was way too relaxed by now to be defensive - and also to keep in what she desperately needed to share. "I met him on the balcony later that night. It was a coincidence. Neither of us could sleep. We talked, and he showed me the castle grounds from above, and he kissed my hand before I left."

"Wait, what?" Christina sat up and looked at her. "And you're telling me that_ now_? This casually? That's huge!"

Instead of answering, Beatrice indicated the battered cup between her palms. Since her friend seemed to have lost her ability to speak for a moment, she used the opportunity to change the topic and direct one of her questions right back at her.

"So, now that I've told you, what did _you_ think about while dancing with him, if it wasn't _'one, two, three - four, five, six'_?"

"Oh, you'd never guess... It caught me by surprise myself. Will."

"You _will do_ what?"

"No, you misunderstood me. I was thinking of _Will_. Short for William. He courted me back home in Candor. We often went for walks together, or sat down to have long conversations that sometimes turned into the rather nonverbal kind, if you know what I mean."

Beatrice stared into her cup to avoid looking into Christina's eyes as she tried not to imagine what that meant in detail. But apparently, Christina waited for an answer, so she eventually murmured something like, "I guess I do."

"Anyway, I realized last weekend how much I miss him both when I danced with the prince and wished it was with Will instead and when I watched you dance together without any jolt of jealousy. I thought you looked cute, the way you both stumbled over the dance floor, and that was the last bit of evidence I needed to realize that I'm still in love with Will."

"Then why did you join the competition in the first place?"

"Will wanted to take the next step soon. He had begun to talk about marriage and starting a family, and I was scared he'd propose to me. I would have had to say no, and it would have hurt both me and him so much. Then I heard about the competition and used it as an excuse to leave Candor and him behind. I avoided him, I never really told him what was going on. That was horrible of me. I mean, I was raised to honor the truth, but the one time it would have cost me a lot to tell it, I bolted. I left my entire province and espoused this idea that I could find thrill and adventure in this competition."

"I don't understand," Beatrice muttered, trying to make sense of Christina's story. "If you love Will, why did you run away? Why were you scared of getting engaged to him?"

"Because we're both still so young. I mean, Will is a couple of years older than me, but still young, too. I haven't even seen anything of this kingdom yet besides my own province and the castle, and now Amity and Abnegation, and there's so much yet to explore. I was seeking adventure, not normality. And I don't want to have children, not yet anyway, not in_ this_ world. Not when every day is a struggle for food and other necessities."

"And he wanted to have children right away?"

"Actually," Christina bit her lip, "I don't know. It was a topic we kind of avoided. But when he started mentioning marriage more than just once, I got scared. But now, being away from him and from home, I can't understand myself anymore. I should have talked to him. Maybe he would have wanted to travel the kingdom with me, too. I never really gave him a chance."

"But you can always go back and explain yourself and make up with him. Maybe he's still in love with you, too."

"And how exactly am I going to get out of the competition? You heard the queen. We can't step back from the tasks."

"No, but you can fail."

"Not on purpose."

"Yes, not on purpose. I bet those belts would notice somehow. Those are weird anyway."

"They are. I guess I have to continue until I fail. Also, I want to keep you company. You and the prince, you seem to like each other. So I'll do my part to help you for as long as I'm in this competition, without intentionally failing."

"That's very generous of you. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I consider you a friend, you know?"

"You are my friend, too."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this comes a few days later than expected, I'm sorry. I try to stick to my usual update schedule, since everything that's normal keeps us all sane, but, as I said, it might be that I can't always make it. However, this is the longest chapter in this story so far, so I hope that makes up for it. Have a nice weekend, even if it's nothing like a usual one, and stay safe! ❤
> 
> Also, extra thanks to everyone who leaves kudos or comments on this story, they make my days so much brighter, especially now. Since ao3 doesn't count the reads of readers that aren't logged in anymore, please check if you're logged in, so I know someone's been here, reading my writing. Thanks! ❤

The next day approached fast, and after a night of light sleep and a simple breakfast, Beatrice and Christina gathered their belongings and packed their bags. Given they only had few things with them, it didn't take much time until they were well on their way. Hiking wasn't that hard at first, as they were walking on a wide path. They saw that someone had walked here not long before them, as they could still make out the footprints. Judging from their number and size, there were at least three more girls ahead of them. They had no doubt they were heading towards the same destination.

The girls walked until it was time for their lunch break. They stopped at a clearing and sat on a stump to eat and relax their feet.

"From now on, it's going to get more difficult. We've almost reached the end of the area I know. We have to be attentive to not get lost, and also more vigilant. The closer we get to the Dark Forest, the more hidden dangers we could face. Usually, we avoid this part of our province," Beatrice sighed.

"Tell me about it. We don't go anywhere near the Dark Forest either. I mean, there's a lot of scary stories about what's looming inside it. My grandma used to tell us the eeriest of all when we were children. She wanted us to be aware of the dangers, she said, so we wouldn't take risks. But I often had nightmares after hearing her tales. Her imagery was very... vivid."

"So what is it that she told you about it? Because we were simply told it was dangerous and we shouldn't go there. In Abnegation, parents don't explain the reasons for the rules they set. They just exist, and we don't question them."

"Well, to make one thing clear, I don't know if any of it is true. It might just be stories. It is said that the Dark Forest is the home of the forgotten creatures. If someone is killed by dark magic, this is where the soul will go. But they are not pure souls anymore, they are cursed. The injustice of their death turns them sinister, so they seek revenge and try to pull everyone who dares to step too close into their everlasting darkness. Long time ago, a wall was build around the Dark Forest. It is supposed to be bewitched, so the souls can't cross it, but we don't trust it to keep them in. That's why we don't go any further than the fountain of truth, which is at least half a day's journey away from it."

"Oh wow. That sounds... awful. I've never heard those stories before. The only rumor I overheard two women talking about on a market was something about a black fog that would make you get lost. But that was a long time ago. I was still a child back then."

"Maybe both versions have a bit of truth in them?"

"I don't know." Beatrice shrugged and kicked a stick that was lying on the ground. "I guess we can't know for sure. Honestly, I tried not to think about it too much before now, but it gets harder to ignore those issues the closer we actually get. I mean, at least the part about the wall seems to be true, as it's part of our task."

"Yes, apparently. I wonder why it is supposed to be difficult. Is it just because it surrounds the Dark Forest, or is there more to it?"

"I wish I had an answer to that question. We'll see to it. Maybe it is a problem that the wall is bewitched?"

"We don't_ really_ believe in witchcraft in Candor. It is frowned upon, as a way to easily explain things that would require more honesty to truly understand. That's why we don't trust the wall to keep the souls contained. Witchcraft and magic are things that belong in the past."

Beatrice thought about that. Something didn't quite fit the mold, but she couldn't put a finger on what exactly made her frown.

"But the fairies and their magical melodies still exist. What about the boxes we were given?"

"I know. I don't know what to believe, actually. Have you checked your box, anyway?"

"Not after we left the castle. Maybe we should take a look."

Digging into their respective bags, they fell silent. But not for long, though.

"Look at that, one of my locks has opened," Christina exclaimed excitedly.

"One of mine, too," Beatrice replied, staring at her box.

"Why do you think it happened?"

"We must have done something driven by love."

Beatrice raised the box in front of her eyes and squinted. Tiny, elegantly curved letters formed a word beneath the lock that had sprung open:

_'FAMILY'_

Before she had even time to blink, it was gone, faded into nothingness as if it had never been there.

For a moment, she wondered if her eyes had betrayed her when Christina said, "Mine spelled _'friend'_, but now the writing has disappeared again."

"I read _'family'_, but the word is no longer there."

"So it _is_ possible to open them. There _has_ to be some magic inside them."

"That's what the fairies told us."

"Yes, and I told you we're cautious in Candor when it comes to magic."

"But how can you believe in sinister souls hiding in the Dark Forest, yet at the same time say the bewitched wall isn't bewitched enough to keep them there? Or that the fairies might not speak the truth?"

"I said we are skeptical, not that we completely deny its existence, like the Erudite. We're used to looking for the truth behind seemingly easy explanations. The Candor can be quite ambivalent regarding certain topics, and this is one of them. It's just one of the characteristics of our province, just like there are many things people never talk about in yours. You see, Candor and Abnegation are separated by the Dark Forest, but the way we talk about it is completely different."

"Okay, I understand what you want to say. But we can agree that there are many things about it that we don't know for sure."

Then their conversation turned back to the boxes and the locks. While they continued their journey on the path that became sturdier with each bend it took, they kept speculating about the reasons for the open locks. They assumed Beatrice's lock must have opened because of the Epaticamey root she had given her mother, but it was more difficult to decide what Christina had done to open hers. She insisted it had to have to do with helping Beatrice in some way or another, since she was the only person Christina had had contact with that she considered a friend.

After walking for a while, they spotted a wooden shack ahead of them. The path led them right towards it. They hesitated as they approached it, squinting left and right to make sure they weren't walking straight into a trap. When they were only a few steps away from it, the door was torn open and an old man blocked their way. He looked ragged, his clothes worn and partly torn, his hair clinging to his head in oily strands.

The girls had stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him. Beatrice's heart had sped up considerably at the first sight of the man's empty eyes staring at them, but it slowed down as she took him in. He didn't seem hostile. He was rather surprised to see them here, probably because he hardly saw any people this far out of the province's central area. His appearance was rather shaped by poverty and the life-hostile conditions out here than by hostility.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Beatrice greeted him.

She noticed Christina glancing sideways at her, but she was sure she was doing the right thing. They had to gain the man's trust, so he would let them pass.

When he didn't reply and just continued to stare at them, she went on, "We're on the way to the edge of the Dark Forest. We don't mean you any harm, we just want to follow this path. There's nothing you have to worry about."

"Nothing _he_ has to worry about? Really, Tris?" Christina muttered under her breath.

Beatrice didn't look at her, just kept her eyes focused on the man's. It took him some time to react, but eventually, he nodded slightly.

"Yes, yes. There were more girls passing by my hut yesterday. Strange times, strange times. Not a soul in forever, and now this many," he said. His voice was hoarse, and he brought his left hand up to his throat, as if he didn't trust his ability to speak.

"I understand that this must seem strange to you, Sir. Please, can we pass?"

Again, many seconds went by before he took a step to the side, towards the shack he had referred to as his hut.

"Go on, girls, go on," he croaked. "But be warned. Your souls are pure, don't let them be sullied."

"Thank you, Sir."

Beatrice started to walk while Christina still hesitated.

"Come on," she encouraged her friend.

As they passed the shack, Beatrice peeked inside it through the open door. It looked sad and dirty, and she felt compassion for this poor man that had to spend his life under such conditions.

"Sir, is there anything we can help you with? Do you need anything?" she asked.

The man looked at her as if he didn't believe his ears.

"Fire," he said, then cleared his throat. "My fire died a few days ago, and it's been so cold. If you could help me light a new one?"

"We can do that," Beatrice replied and ignored Christina's slightly reproachful look. "It will only take a few minutes," she reassured her, and then set her bag down to take out the matches.

She helped the old man to set up his fireplace and then lighted the logs with one of her remaining two matches. He was so happy and overwhelmed by her help that she didn't have time to worry about Christina and herself. They at least had each other, and they'd be back first with her family and then at the castle soon.

"That wasn't really necessary, you know?" Christina said when they were back on the path.

"No, but I couldn't leave him like that. It's not what people do in Abnegation."

"But now we only have one match left."

"We'll manage, somehow."

They continued their journey quietly. Christina wasn't in the mood for more talking, and Beatrice was thankful that maybe her family wasn't as poor as it often felt. Sure, they didn't have much, but they had a real home and each other.

After walking for a while, they heard an inhuman sound ahead of them. The path led them right towards it. They hesitated as they approached it, squinting left and right to make sure they weren't walking straight into a trap. Beatrice knelt down immediately the moment she saw the injured dove in the bushes beside the path. It curred dolorously. She reached out to pick it up and carefully inspected the bird. One of its wings appeared to be broken, hanging loosely to the side, with white feathers pointing in all directions.

"Hey, little dove, did you get hurt?" she whispered soothingly. "We'll take you along with us and bring you back to the castle. You can stay with us until your wing has healed and you can learn how to fly again. We'll take care of you. With us, you'll be safe."

"But you're aware that it doesn't understand what you're saying, right?" Christina said with a smile.

"That doesn't matter, as long as she feels she's being taken care of."

She took a piece of fabric out of her bag that she carefully wrapped around the dove and then held it close to her chest to keep it warm. The poor animal had to be cold. She was determined to help it, as she knew it was its only chance to survive. Without help, it would freeze to death when the night fell. She'd give it water and food and keep it warm as she'd carry it all the way with them to the Dark Forest and back to the castle, no matter if Christina found it amusing to talk to an animal.

And so they continued their journey, the path underneath their feet more overgrown the further it led them into unknown lands. It couldn't be far now.

Finally, after walking for a while, they spotted a small house made of stone. The path led them right towards it. They hesitated as they approached it, squinting left and right to make sure they weren't walking straight into a trap. It stood out peculiarly from its surroundings.

"Hello?" Beatrice called, trying to avoid being startled anew.

"Hello, who's there?" came the answer from inside the house. One of the little windows opened and a face came into view, although it was hard to make out beneath the black beard covering half of it and the pointed hat had sunk down to the bushy eyebrows.

"Beatrice and Christina," she replied.

"Ah, more girls on their journey to the Dark Forest for the sake of the prince?"

"Yes, yes we are."

"Come in and join me for dinner, girls. Mine is almost ready, isn't it? It's not far from here. I can tell you what you need to know, can't I?"

Beatrice and Christina exchanged a look. Was it wise to trust this little man? But he was so small, reaching only as high as their hips, could he really put them in danger? And what other choice did they have, anyway?

So they joined him. He offered them his fireplace to cook for themselves, and Beatrice offered him some of her supply of fruit.

"Here, take these apples and a pear. I can imagine it's been a while since you've had fresh fruit out here."

"Thank you very much, my dear, you are too kind."

They continued their conversation while he roasted his potatoes and the girls stirred their soup.

"I haven't properly introduced myself, have I? I'm Al, short for Albert. Yes, and short is what I am, as you can see. Don't stare please, it's not polite. I'm a dwarf, just to cover that next question you're wondering about, aren't you? And yes, we still exist."

"So, uhm, are you living out here on your own all the time?" Beatrice asked, trying not to stare. She found it was easier when she kept her eyes focused on Al's face.

"These days, I do. My brothers and I used to live together, in a shared house. But it broke under the weight of the snow in a particularly cold winter, and we separated. Now each of us has his own little house, and we keep watch over the paths that lead to the Dark Forest, don't we? Three girls were here yesterday, but they didn't want to take their time to listen to me. Too bad, isn't it?" He didn't wait for an answer. "So from here, it's only a few hundred steps until the path ends. From there, you can go on only one at a time, so the Forest won't hear you. You step between the two stones that mark the end of the path and take about a hundred steps more, going straight ahead. Then you'll reach the wall, won't you? Just don't let your minds get distracted and wander off, or else you will get lost."

"Okay, that sounds manageable, thank you," Christina said happily.

It was true, it didn't sound that difficult. Yet somehow, Beatrice didn't believe that was all there was to it. They'd gotten this far without any real obstacle, and last week, only one of the two girls trying to fulfill the Abnegation task had received her gemstone. If it was this easy, what was the point in making it a task?

They set the table together and were about to devour their food. Beatrice was starving after walking the whole day, and she had to strengthen herself for the last part of today's journey that was still to come. But she paused with the spoon halfway to her mouth as she remembered the dove that had fallen asleep in her arms during their walk. She had set it down by the fireplace, close enough to enjoy the warmth, but far enough from it that it wouldn't get uncomfortably hot. She turned to look at it and found it awake, tending to its feathers.

Beatrice picked it up and placed it in her lap where she fed it small pieces of vegetables that she picked out of her soup with her fingers. The bird swallowed them thankfully, and Beatrice was glad it looked a little better after getting some rest and food.

After finishing their dinner, Al nodded towards the dove that had fallen asleep again on her thighs.

"You can leave that bird with me, can't you? I can take care of it until it has healed. That way, it won't burden you any longer," he offered.

"That's very considerate, but I'd like to keep it. I've always liked animals, but my parents never allowed me to have a pet, so this is my chance to take care of one, even if it's just for a few days."

"As you wish. Now, before you go, I want to give you something."

Al got up and rummaged in a huge chest that he pulled out from under his bed. He murmured something under his breath while he obviously searched it for something he had in mind. He paused when he had found it, then turned around and headed over to Beatrice.

"Here, take this pickaxe from me as a gift. I can imagine it will serve you well when the time comes to use it, won't it?"

She took it from him and turned it over to look at it from all sides. It was an ordinary pickaxe on which the ravages of time were visible. Her mind easily made the connection between the tool and the stone she'd have to take out of the wall.

"Thank you very much Al, you are too kind."


	17. Chapter 17

Dusk had begun to cast its fading light onto the path that led the girls away from Al's hut towards the Dark Forest. They had decided to ignore the missing light and just wanted to try to get their stones, so they could walk away from this place as quickly as ever they could afterwards. They had one match left, they could make a torch and let it light their way once the night had fallen.

They wandered in silence. It wasn't as peaceful and calm as it used to be as each of them dwellt on her thoughts. The change of scenery was subtle at first, but became more and more undeniable. The path turned narrow and overgrown, the trees and bushes thicker beside them. No other sound could be heard but the rustling of leaves and the soft padding of their feet on the frozen mud. The treetops were so thick that there wasn't even snow on the ground.

For the first time since leaving home almost two weeks ago, since joining this whole competition, Beatrice felt fear creeping up on her. It wasn't panic or terror, more like a chill reaching for her bones. She shivered as a part of her finally realized there was no way out of this situation other than to go through. But she couldn't afford to let fear overtake her, she needed to pull herself together for the sake of this task. They'd hurry and go out of this area, back to the part of the province that she knew and appreciated. This didn't feel like a part of Abnegation at all. No wonder it was usually forbidden to come here.

She counted seven hundred and twelve steps until they reached the end of the path. It emerged onto a tiny circular clearing, hardly big enough for the both of them to stand on with their bags. It was surrounded by gray stones on the ground, with a gap between two bigger ones that Al had told them about, leading the way towards the wall. It was impossible to say if anyone had been here before them, since the frozen mud didn't allow any footprints. They wouldn't leave any traces either. Nobody would be able to tell that they'd been here. Another shiver ran down Beatrice's spine at the thought of getting lost between the trees that surrounded them almost as if they themselves were the wall they were looking for.

_Breathe,_ she thought._ Retain control. You made it this far, now is not the time to give up. _

She didn't dare to speak, so she searched for Christina's gaze and pointed between the two of them questioningly.

_Who was going to go first?_

She didn't know what was better or worse. It was like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Christina looked as lost as she did as she shrugged and glanced between the opening between the stones and the trees.

Beatrice decided to act then. There was no point in wasting time. She'd go first.

She took off her bag and set it down by her feet. She felt Christina watch her as she untied it and took out the pickaxe. Had it already been this heavy when Al had first given it to her?

With a last look at Christina, she made sure her friend was okay. She nodded at her encouragingly, or as encouragingly as she could under the circumstances, and so Beatrice turned, took a steadying breath and stepped forwards between the stones.

One. Two. Three.

She counted the steps, and for a moment, her mind went back to the castle and her dance with Tobias.

Four. Five. Six.

But the situation didn't allow any distractions. She had to count up to one hundred steps and focus on walking straight ahead.

When she reached twenty, she found herself suddenly surrounded by trees. If there had been at least some kind of recognizable path, it was gone now. Nothing but trees and more trees, rows and rows of them. How was she supposed to walk straight ahead and not get lost when she had to wriggle her way between them like this?

The fear returned, icy cold on her neck. It threatened to overcome her, but she fought it down. She had known all along that it wouldn't be easy. _Breathe._

Once she was able to think straight again, she notched the ground with the pickaxe. If she repeated that every few steps, she'd have less trouble finding her way back. Also, Christina would have better orientation. It was worth the few extra seconds it took to leave marks, and it worked fine until she reached step forty-nine.

That's when she noticed the fog ahead of her. It evaporated out of the ground and billowed between the trunks.

Beatrice had to fight against the rising panic once more. She had only made half the way to the wall yet. What else would she have to encounter? She looked up to the sky. Its dim light seemed like a canvas with mighty branches drawn all over it, just a background now for the darkness that was the forest.

The next ten or so steps led Beatrice deeper into the fog, and she left notches on the ground every two steps now. With the fog, it was harder to see what was in front of or behind her.

Then the fog started to change its color. It turned from white to a light gray first, and then became darker with every step.

Beatrice's breath was shaky, her legs carrying her only due to her determination. The increasing darkness enclosed her from all sides now, the glance upwards revealing only blurred silhouettes against a darkening sky. The trees seemed to be closing in on her, their branches moving in an imperceptible breeze, as if trying to reach for her. It didn't matter that they were plants. For Beatrice, they were alive, and she was afraid of them grasping her and pulling her away from her path, to a place she'd never be able to escape from. It was an act of pure volition that made her continue, dodging the swaying branches as good as she could.

She was about eighty steps in, give or take a few, when she had to take a moment to collect herself for the last part. She closed her eyes to block out reality and escape to a safer place. Thoughts were swirling in her head like the fog surrounding her until a memory shaped itself in her mind:

_Tobias' earnest gaze, searching for permission in her eyes as he asked her, "May I?"_

_The caress of his fingertips against her forearm as he carefully pulled off her glove. _

_His hand holding hers up for him to kiss as if it weighed nothing. _

_The touch of his lips to her skin. _

She wanted to feel that again. Wanted him to kiss not only the back of her hand, wanted to warm his lips with hers.

Right. She had to go on now, or she would never share that with him, would not even have the chance to.

As she opened her eyes, a gasp escaped her throat. Tiny lights whirred around her, little spots emitting a dreamlike glow that illuminated the forest around her. It was beautiful, misplaced at a site as oppressive as this.

Blinking at the rapidly shifting lights, she tried to make sense of them. And she did, although she had no idea where they came from. They had to be far from where they usually lived, belonging here as little as she did: Fireflies, hundreds of them, buzzing through the air without making any sounds. The forest must have to absorb it, just like it swallowed her shallow breaths and her careful footsteps.

"What are you doing here?" Beatrice whispered in awe.

The fireflies all flew together in a sphere, as if on command, then formed an arrow of light pointing ahead.

"You're here to show me the way? Wow. But why are you helping me?"

The little animals concentrated in a sphere again, only to then shape into a hut first, then a man and at last they imitated a fire burning on the ground.

"Because... I helped the poor man light a fire?" Beatrice asked as she put the pieces together.

Instead of giving her an answer, the fireflies swarmed around her in a tight circle that almost felt like an embrace before they swarmed out further around her to illuminate the way for her. Their light cut through the fog and penetrated even the darkest shadows. It guided her safely onwards until suddenly, she emerged from the fog. It swirled behind her as if held back by an invisible wall. But in front of her was a wall that was very much visible, made of stones. They came in all sizes, shapes and colors, as if some unknown giant had piled them up with equal amounts of chaos and order in mind.

Beatrice couldn't believe she had made it this far. There was no more time to waste now. She dashed the last few yards toward the wall and carefully ran her palm over the cold stone. She found a small stone that appeared to be perfect to pull out, only loosely attached to its neighbors. Grasping it with her fingers, she pulled, but it didn't move the slightest bit. Right. This would be the occasion to use the pickaxe. Why had she even thought she'd be able to take a stone without using it?

She took a big swing with it and brought it down in a stroke. The whole wall shook as the stone she had aimed at wobbled. It took another two blows to the stone until it toppled to the ground. Beatrice hurried to pick it up and stowed it into the bag of her coat. She turned and was about to step back into the fog to make her way back to Christina when she hesitated. How was her friend going to make it here? She was rather sure it would count as cheating if she brought a second stone for her, but she could do something to make it easier for her. The faster Christina would be done, the faster they could both make it back into safer territory.

Beatrice knelt down and used the axe to cut into the fabric of her coat. Then she pulled at it, tore off enough of it to rip it further into a long, thin piece of rough fabric. She tied it to the tree closest to her and then made her way back. She was much faster now than on her way in, with the fireflies keeping her company and lighting the path for her until the fog had subsided. They swarmed off before she had the opportunity to thank them for their help.

From here, she could easily follow the marks she had left with the pickaxe. It was easier to breathe the further away from the Dark Forest she got. Never had she been more relieved than at the moment that she spotted Christina kneeling on the ground, caressing the injured dove in her hands. She looked up in alarm when a twig crackled beneath Beatrice's foot, but her features relaxed as soon as she recognized her friend.

Beatrice didn't dare to speak. Instead, she tried to explain with gestures and grimaces what she had experienced. She showed Christina the stone and handed her the pickaxe and the end of the fabric. Her coat was now significantly shorter than before. Hopefully, she would have the opportunity to repair it in the future. Perhaps Shauna would be able to organize some spare fabric once they were back in the castle.

Christina thankfully took the fabric and put it down on the ground. That was smart, Beatrice thought, because this way, it would not only lead her to the wall, but also back to her.

Once Christina had disappeared between the dense trees, there was nothing to do for Beatrice but wait. The dove soon fell asleep again after her return, and she tried to distract herself with thoughts of the prince. The worst part of this task was over, now all that remained to do was hike back. She'd dance with Tobias again on Saturday. She imagined them swirling around on the dance floor like they didn't care about all the onlookers, as if they were all alone in the ballroom. In her mind, there was no need to count the beats as she managed to move gracefully to the rhythm of the music.

Darkness had long fallen by the time Christina made it back to her. She looked ashen, her face tear stained and her hands empty. Beatrice jumped up and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was glad the other girl had returned safely. It was what mattered most. After Christina had stopped shaking, Beatrice took a step back to look at her again. But she just shook her head slightly as she held her empty palms out towards her. No pickaxe. No stone.

Beatrice swallowed the myriad of questions for now. She'd have time to ask them all later, when they had put enough distance between themselves and the Dark Forest. She took Christina's hand, and together they made their way back to Al's hut.

Only, the hut wasn't there anymore. It was gone, no trace of it left beside its rectangular outline on the muddy ground. How was that possible?

Ignoring the dread that there might be a chance that they'd taken the wrong way back, the girls hurried onwards. It didn't matter that it was nighttime already, that they had walked all day and their bones ached with every movement. Neither of them dared to suggest it was time to rest for the night. They could sleep once they'd made it out of here.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, I know this is late again. I'm sorry. I'm trying to post on time, but I can't always make it at the moment. Still, new chapters will be coming, I promise. On the plus side, you won't have to wait as long for the next update. Stay safe everyone

It was a long and exhausting hike to reach a less dense part of the forest where they felt safe enough to set up their tent for the night. But neither of them was able to sleep well. When dawn cast its light upon the sky, Beatrice wasn't sure if she had slept at all or if she'd just tossed and turned around on her straw mattress in a useless attempt to calm the flood of images and impressions from her adventure earlier that night.

They got up in silence and packed their belongings. They still had a long way ahead of them if they wanted to make it back to Beatrice's parents the same day. It had taken them two days to reach the Dark Forest, and they'd only spent half a night wandering back.

Christina had refused to speak about what had happened when she'd been off to get the stone, and Beatrice had known better than to push her. If she didn't share it of her own accord, it had to have been disturbing. Christina hadn't shown to be the reluctant type in the past. Beatrice accepted her need for silence, as unusual as it was, and refrained from bringing the topic up. She could wait and took the time to process her own experiences.

It felt good to be able to walk after the restless night. It gave her back control over her actions and thoughts the more familiar the territory became. While her body was drained from the excessive walking, her determination was burning bright, taking over and pushing her homewards. She had always been a little too stubborn, a little too selfish for a girl in Abnegation, she knew it, had often felt like she didn't belong. But now, for the first time in her life, she not only accepted this side of her personality, she welcomed it.

They reached her family's home late at night, when her parents had already gone to sleep. The fire had burned down to ember that emanated a soft glow and a humble amount of warmth. Since they didn't want to wake anyone, they put their mattresses down right there. The knowledge of being safe at last made them fall asleep quickly.

Andrew and Natalie were surprised when they found two sleeping girls on their kitchen floor close to the fireplace the next morning. They were relieved to see their daughter again, alive and unharmed. The Epaticamey root had lifted Natalie's condition, so she was able to get out of bed together with her husband now. Andrew still gestured for her to sit down at the table while he put logs in the fireplace to reawaken the flames. It wasn't easy to move and set the kettle on the fire to get water boiling to brew their tea without accidentally stumbling over the sleeping girls. Natalie wondered what they had encountered that caused them to not immediately wake up from the clatter.

When the girls finally _did_ wake up, they hurried to sit down for breakfast. While they avoided going into details about the Dark Forest and the specifics of their task, they summed up how they had spent the last days. They had decided the day before that they wanted to stay as long as possible before returning to the castle to make themselves useful and take the time to work on their fighting techniques. It would be easier to do it here, without attracting unwanted attention from the other girls in the competition. While only Beatrice had managed to gain the requested stone, she had offered that her and Christina could try dropping it into the bowl together and see if that counted for both of them to pass.

Only after Andrew had left for the close village to help a family repair their leaking roof and all the dishes had been washed and dried and stowed back into the shelves, did Beatrice ask about Caleb. He didn't usually sleep this long, so the only other option was that he had left early for a job. Sometimes, when someone living further away than the next village needed help fixing their hut or offered any other kind of job that promised some silver, he left at dawn or even stayed elsewhere for two or three days at a time.

Natalie sighed and wrung her hands, a gesture that alarmed Beatrice. Her mother was usually very much in control of keeping signs of nervousness or worry out of her body language, so there had to be more to Caleb's absence this morning.

"He left two days ago."

"For a job?" Beatrice asked, but she already knew the answer.

"Yes and no. He was _recruited_ to help the researchers at the Erudite laboratories. Apparently, they have found promising clues to improve crop growth and need more workers to assist them."

"When you say _'recruited'_, what do you mean?"

This wasn't normal. Beatrice could tell from how carefully her mother chose her words and from the fact that it wasn't common to ask people from other provinces for help. There were enough men and women looking for work everywhere, as far as she knew.

"Two men rode here with their horses. I could tell where they came from right away from their purple cloaks. They carried a piece of parchment with a list of names on it and asked for Caleb to accompany them to Erudite. He said he didn't want to leave us here, since you were busy in the competition, but they made it clear that it wasn't meant as an offer. They showed us a Royal Decree signed by the queen. He had no other choice than to go with them. At least, they promised he'd be rewarded for his work. Perhaps it will turn out to be something good that he's there now. It still is the richest province, apart from the castle of course."

"But Caleb in Erudite? How is he going to be of any help there? They spend half their time studying every day, how can someone from Abnegation be able to keep up with them?"

"I'm afraid I don't know either. Maybe you can find out more about that once you get there, or maybe you'll even be able to find him and talk to him, ask if everything is alright."

"I hope so."

Beatrice didn't want to cause her mother any more worries than she already had, so she kept to herself how suspicious she was of the queen and her decree. It was a strange coincident for this to happen just at the same time that this competition was held, and that there was a list of names that had already been decided on. Why would they refer to that instead of just asking around for volunteers? She was sure there were more than enough young people ready to go to Erudite for a bit of food and silver without having to be forced to comply.

It was a thought that kept her company all day, through her training session with Christina, through preparing lunch and darning socks and other items of clothing and through brushing the floor until it appeared lighter than it had in a long time.

Late in the afternoon, she took Christina out in the forest to collect herbs. It wasn't a particularly long distance they had to walk, and they set off in a quick pace. Beatrice knew the forest around her home like the back of her hand, could read it like a book. She led her friend to the places she knew they would find what they were looking for. She instructed her on how to pick certain herbs and how to distinguish one plant from the other and let her know what each one was used for. She planned to make a decoction to bathe their feet in that night, to help ease the pain in their soles and disinfect the blisters, so they'd heal faster. They both had several from walking around that much, but they were both too stubborn to let them dictate their day.

On the way back, Beatrice made a hesitant attempt to ask Christina what had happened on her way to the wall.

"It was so very dark, I couldn't see anything. This fog, it made me feel so lost and disoriented. I felt disconnected from everything, isolated, as if I was the only person left in the world. I forgot the time, too, and I could hear nothing but my own breathing and my heartbeat thrumming in my ears. I have no idea how you made it to the wall on your own, I could never have reached it without your fabric to cling to."

"But the fireflies, didn't they light you the way to the wall?"

Beatrice was surprised. She had assumed they'd stayed to help her friend, too. And while her own experience in the fog hadn't been comfortable either, Christina's sounded a lot scarier.

"Fireflies? No. Nothing. Just the fog, fog everywhere."

"Oh." What could she say? She had only made it because she had been lucky. If it hadn't been for the fireflies, then she probably wouldn't have made it either. If Christina had chosen to go first, would she have been the lucky one instead of her? "But... you still reached the wall after all?"

"I did. I swung the pickaxe, nine times if I remember correctly. The sound was so loud I was scared it would summon the souls and lead them right to where I was. But no matter how hard I tried, not a single stone came loose. And then the axe just vanished. I can't tell you what I did wrong, but it dissolved into thin air. I tried to hold on to it, but I was powerless to stop it from disappearing. And then I rushed back to you as fast as I could. You know the rest. This whole trip was so creepy. I understand why my grandma warned me to ever set a foot there."

"That is so mysterious. I don't understand why it didn't work for you. It took me three blows and I got my stone."

"There has to have been some kind of spell on the axe."

"Obviously. Where I come from, pickaxes don't just vanish. The most important thing is that you got your stone. You need to stay in the competition in the first place. I appreciate your offer to try to return it together and if it works, fine. But if not and I drop out, I'll still go to Candor with you and try my best to help you solve the task there. Only, I won't be able to return to the castle another time with you."

"I know. We'll see. Maybe it will work."

"Yes, maybe. And then I want to forget we've ever been at this place and never talk about it again."

"Not even to Will?"

"I don't know yet."

* * *

Beatrice poured the decoction into the circular metal bowl they used in her family to wash themselves. She put it on the floor and carefully put her left foot into the still comfortably hot water while Christina sat opposite her and also put in one foot. They had decided that it was fairer to bathe their feet at the same time instead of one after the other. Christina sighed contentedly as her foot sunk into the water.

"That's the best idea you've come up with today," she praised.

"Thanks," Beatrice said and silently added 'I know it was a brilliant one'. But she didn't dare to say it out loud due to the presence of her parents. She knew they didn't like statements like these, even when they were meant half-jokingly. Pride wasn't something to joke about in Abnegation.

They soaked each foot various times until the water had turned cold. Then they dried them and carefully covered their blisters with a paste Beatrice had made of leaves, bark and water. It burned, but it would be so much better tomorrow, and if they repeated the procedure once more then, and maybe another time at the castle if it was possible, their feet would soon be healed and ready to carry them to their next adventures.

* * *

The next day went by too fast for all the things that Beatrice wanted to help Natalie with.

When Christina had gone outside to fetch water from the rivulet that they had already been together various times now, Beatrice used the chance to seek her mother's advice. She had made another decoction for her, though it was a different one with stimulating effects. She went through the preparations in silence and then invited her mother to soak her feet in the warm water.

Natalie didn't hesitate, and Beatrice knew how thankful she was to be cared for. Washing the parents' feet was a common gesture of respect in Abnegation, but Beatrice didn't do it only to comply with the expectation. She genuinely wanted to do what she could to make her mother get better, and she was already so glad about having brought the root from Amity.

Calm flooded her as she knelt on the floor and massaged Natalie's feet in the water. It was one of those rituals which made her feel close to her.

It was silent until Natalie asked if she had managed to get what she'd set out for the other day.

"Yes, I did. But Christina didn't. We'll try to return it together, so maybe that will count for both of us to pass the task."

"I'm proud of you."

"Thank you."

They fell back into comfortable silence until Beatrice couldn't hold back what she'd gone through. And so she told her mother, told her about the old man and the fire, about Al, about the fog and the fireflies and the pickaxe and the wall and the way back. The only thing she didn't have to say much about anymore was how they'd found the dove, since she had told that part of the story during breakfast the day before, explaining about the bird she kept feeding while they were eating.

"I still don't know what to make of all of this, why Christina wasn't able to get a stone out of that wall when she did nothing differently," she concluded.

Natalie sighed and smiled as if she knew something Beatrice did not.

"Think child. Think about the story you told me. There were some things you and your friend _did_ differently. You even mentioned how the fireflies showed you the reason they were there."

Beatrice contemplated the events of that night anew while she reached for the washcloth and started to use it on Natalie's feet.

Yes, she had offered her second to last match to the old man to light his fire with it. Was that the reason why the fireflies had showed up?

Yes, she had saved an injured dove when leaving it be would have meant its death. Could that have had an effect, too?

And yes, she had shared her fruit with Al. He had given her the pickaxe in return, and had shared his knowledge with them.

Was it all linked? And why was it that on their way back they never passed neither Al's hut nor the old man's shack, although they had been sure they'd taken the same path back on which they had come.

She looked up to her mother. Was it possible that she knew more than she let on?

"Beatrice, do you remember what I told you before you left?"

_Be yourself. Never forget who you are and where you come from. _

"Yes," she gasped, suddenly realizing what it all meant.

It had been an Abnegation task. Bringing a stone had never particularly seemed like one. If anything, having to go to the edge of the Dark Forest would rather be a Dauntless task. It had never been about the stone... Or at least, not specifically. Being able to get the stone was just the result of passing the smaller tests they hadn't been aware of.

It all fitted together. Christina hadn't been happy about giving away their second to last match. She hadn't exactly protested against taking care of the dove, but it had been her, Beatrice, to seize the initiative. It had been her who had shared her food with it later at Al's table, too. And, unlike her, Christina had kept her fruit for the way back to the castle.

Did that mean she had possibly made progress with her box as well?

Beatrice had to fight her excitement to postpone going to take it out of her bag immediately. It was impolite to not finish washing her mother's feet. Also, it was her wisdom that had helped her see what the task had been about in the first place.

"Thank you, mother. You've helped me more than you know."

Natalie smiled proudly at her daughter and reached to cradle her cheek in her palm.

"Just keep cherishing what I've told you. You'll get far if you do."

"I will, I promise."

Natalie leaned back in her chair as Beatrice dried her skin with another cloth and pulled warm socks over her feet. Then she fetched shoes for her mother to slip into.

As soon as she was done, she excused herself for a minute. She was bursting with curiosity, her heartbeat heavy as she held the box in her hands, its locks still hidden from view inside her bag. She enjoyed the thrill of excitement a little longer, then steadied her breath and pulled the small item out. Two locks had opened since the last time she had looked at it. She lifted the box to read the words that showed up underneath the locks.

" _'Animal'_ and _'stranger'_ ", she muttered happily.


	19. Chapter 19

Saturday couldn't come fast enough. Tobias hadn't felt this impatient before, a result of the indifference that had overcome him after his mother's death. With nothing to be happy about and nothing to look forward to, he had never had reasons for impatience. But that was changing _now_, and while it had just been a little restlessness after the first ball, the emotion had grown after the second one. More so because of his nightly meeting with Beatrice, he suspected.

He didn't know what to make of that. At first, he was annoyed that his heart beat faster and his palms got sweaty when he thought of her. What was that for? He _never_ sweated. His heart _never_ stumbled. Those reactions betrayed him, betrayed who he thought he was. How could a girl, small in height and fragilely thin, shake him up like this? It scared him, yet at the same time, he craved to have more of this - to have more of _her_.

That's why he was up early in the morning to oversee the arrival of contestants. He wondered how many of them would be back, yet only one really mattered to him. What if she wasn't among them? What if she had failed, and he wouldn't be able to see her again?

It was snowing again today, so he decided to wait inside by a window that allowed him a good view of the patio where the five bowls had been set up. Jeanine, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.

The first few girls arrived during the morning, most of them in groups of two or three. Apparently, they stuck together to increase their chances to make it through the tasks. He wondered when their liaisons would start to crumble apart. They had to at some point. In the end, they were rivals, all aiming for the same goal: to marry him. They were hungry for the power _he_ didn't even want to have.

Some actually pulled a gemstone out of the bowls, what always resulted in giggles and hugs. Some threw something into the bowls, others just had to go near them and reach into them. And sometimes, the bowl wouldn't give them a gemstone, but a piece of charcoal instead, which resulted in shock and tears.

Zeke found Tobias sitting beside the window overlooking the castle grounds at noon.

"Here you are. I was looking for you, the queen asks for your presence at lunch."

"Tell her I'm not hungry."

As if on command, Tobias' stomach grumbled. He coughed, trying to cover it, but it didn't work. Not with Zeke.

"Yeah, definitely _not_ hungry."

Zeke rolled his eyes, something nobody else ever did this openly, and grinned knowingly. Was he being this obvious?

"Just tell her I'm not hungry. Please."

"Alright, I will."

Zeke left, but returned with a bowl of potatoes and vegetables later. He wordlessly passed it to Tobias and then left him again to his observation.

He had started to walk up and down the room when he finally spotted Beatrice and her friend in the distance. He even bumped his nose against the glass as he tried to get as close to the window as possible and shook his head in disbelief about such ineptitude.

They looked tired and cold, and they were moving so slowly through the whirling snow. But he could see them better and better the closer they came. He pressed his hands against the glass to be able to look at them approaching the Abnegation bowl together. It was just the two of them standing next to each other in the patio now. Beatrice pulled something out of her coat that looked like a simple stone. He wondered what was so special about it that it held the power to make her either pass or fail this week's task. Jeanine had refused to give away anything about the challenges the girls had to face.

Beatrice looked at her friend, who took hold of the stone with her. They held it above the bowl and let it drop in unison, maybe at the count of three or some other hidden clue, and it dissolved in a ball of light that disappeared soon after and left two items in the otherwise empty bowl: a white gemstone and a piece of charcoal.

He held his breath as he watched them talk urgently, and he was left uneasy when they each picked up something and went into the castle without him being able to see who of them now held the gemstone.

Since he wasn't allowed to meet the girls before the ball and he was sure Jeanine was lurking somewhere downstairs, he didn't dare to go looking for her. He didn't want to meet his stepmother, as she'd only give him more orders for the night: what to wear, how to behave, when to engage in more small talk and to remember the steps when dancing. No, he'd have to wait until the evening came.

But time yet again was a strange thing. While it had stopped the moment Beatrice had stepped into the patio, it slowed down as soon as she was out of sight, and he was left to wait once more.

There was no need to stay by the window now, so Tobias decided to find Zeke and exercise a bit with him. His guard had happily resumed training side by side with him this week.

By the time the prince dressed for the ball, his nervousness returned. Zeke's knock at the royal dressing room even made him jump. _What was it about her that did this to him?_

"It's time to go down, your girls are awaiting you in the ballroom," Zeke informed him, failing to hide his amusement at the prince's reaction to his knocking.

"I'm ready," Tobias said, mostly to convince himself.

"It might be of interest to you that Beatrice asked Shauna to take care of an injured dove she picked up somewhere in Abnegation while she's away for her next task," Zeke stated casually.

Tobias felt the dread fall off him as he realized what this meant. She had made it. He would dance with her once more tonight.

Upon entering the ballroom, he immediately looked for her. His heart stopped for a moment as he spotted her. She looked stunning in her deep blue dress that accentuated her pale skin and gray-blue eyes. She wasn't as strikingly beautiful as some other girls, but she was by far the most interesting of all. While the other faces were nice to look at, hers was the only one his eyes were searching for in the ballroom after every dance he did that night. Whenever their eyes met, she smiled, secretly, as if nobody else was allowed to see it, and he smiled back the same way.

He waited all night to dance with her. Although there was no other girl he wanted to dance with, he kept _her_ to look forward to.

When it was finally time for him to a ask her for a dance, he was both relieved and tense at the same time.

The ensemble played a slow waltz, and he walked up to her and forced himself not to take his eyes off hers as he asked, "Would you do me the honor?"

She accepted his hand without hesitation, a sparkle in her eyes she hadn't had the week before. Or maybe he had missed it because he hadn't dared to search her gaze more than a few times while they had danced.

This week's dance was different. She glanced up at him every so often, and he did his best to catch her eyes as they moved across the dance floor. Whenever their eyes met, they held on to the connection longer than they had before.

Beatrice was no longer wearing gloves, and her delicate hands lay warm in his hand and against his shoulder. He wanted to tell her how much he liked that, but he didn't know how to. Nice words didn't pass his lips easily, and he had to get used to the taste of them. But he wanted to, for her.

"You look good," he whispered half-way through the song.

He saw her flinch a little, hardly noticeable, and he wondered if he'd said too much.

But then a rosy blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Thank you."

Tobias noticed how her thumb moved on his shoulder, back and forth. The movement was so tentative that he wasn't sure if she was aware of it. He didn't dare to look into her eyes. Instead, he spread his fingers wider on her shoulder blade, touching more of her than before, and pulled her a little closer, equally cautious. He held his breath as he waited for a reaction and was reassured when she let him inch her closer to him as they swayed to the music. He exhaled when she looked up at him and, at the same time, gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze that was impossible to notice for anybody else. But _he_ did, and it made him flex his fingers to caress her shoulder. She reacted by shifting her hand in his and caressing the back of his hand with her right thumb.

Tobias wished the dance would last longer, yet he also wished he was alone with Beatrice. It was daring to exchange these little gestures in the middle of the dance floor, bordering on what was socially acceptable. He was sure, even if somebody noticed their little touches, they wouldn't say a word to him. That, at least, was one of the benefits of being part of the royal family. Yet, holding hands didn't feel close enough anymore.

"You'll hear from me later," he whispered as the song ended and they had to part.

"I'm looking forward to it," she replied, the color in her cheeks an indicator that she was speaking the truth.

* * *

_"Meet me at the top of the highest tower at midnight" _Tobias wrote and folded the paper neatly before he put it into an envelope and sealed it. He hissed as he accidentally guttered sealing wax onto his thumb. Since when was he this clumsy?

He waited for Zeke to come to his chamber, like he had ordered him to. When he did, he handed him the letter.

"Just make sure she'll get it as soon as possible."

"Done."

After his guard had left, he realized he had forgotten to sign the message.

* * *

_"Meet me at the top of the highest tower at midnight"_ Beatrice read and folded the paper neatly again before she put it into her pocket after Shauna had given it to her. The empty envelope slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground. Since when was she this clumsy?

Christina looked at her with wide eyes.

"Aaand? Is it from him?"

"Yes. He wants to meet me at midnight."

It didn't matter that the message wasn't signed. She knew whom it was from anyway.

"Oh, that's so exciting. I wish I could come with you."

"Sorry, but I will go alone."

Christina couldn't suppress a laugh upon seeing Beatrice's serious expression, "Of course, silly. I wasn't planning to be your chaperone. You can kiss until your lips are bleeding."

"Do you... Do you think he's going to try to kiss me?"

"After what you told me about your dance, I'd say that's be the next step. I mean, I wasn't there to witness you two together, but if he caressed your shoulder and pulled you close to him, then a kiss is where it goes from there."

"I've never kissed a boy before," Beatrice admitted. "What if I do it wrong?"

"You won't. Just do what your instincts tell you to do and you'll be fine. Now let's hurry and make you look decent. I'll help you with your hair."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the chapter you've probably been waiting for ;-)

It was windy that night, especially up on the tower. Two of the seven windows that offered a view over the plains surrounding the castle were broken, so whenever the prince made his way up here, he had to pay the view with being exposed to the elements. He liked the place nonetheless, because it was always deserted. Nobody else ever bothered to ascend the spiral staircase with its many cracked and uneven steps while the torches cast an eerie light on them. He had made sure to light every single one of them though. _He_ very well knew how to avoid stumbling on the worn off stones, but he couldn't say the same for Beatrice.

While climbing the stairs, Tobias had wondered if choosing the tower as a meeting point for tonight had been a mistake. It was far away from where the girls slept, and there were several deserted hallways Beatrice would have to take to reach the bottom of its staircase. And even with the torches lighting the way, there were still some dark sections, and he hadn't lit the two lowest torches to make sure they wouldn't be found by whomever wandered around the castle in the middle of the night. Now he wondered if that had been the right decision. Would Beatrice be brave enough to join him despite it? Would she try at all?

It had _seemed_ she might want to see him, but the more minutes passed, the more restless Tobias became. He paced up and down the circular room, and every time he passed the arch that marked the end of the stairs, he stopped to listen for footsteps or breathing or _anything_ that would announce the arrival of his nightly guest. He pulled his red cloak closer around him as a gust of wind made him shudder. Perhaps he should have taken a better effort thinking this through and told her to bring her cloak, too. Or he could have brought another one of his. He had several that were all more or less in good state, whereas, being from Abnegation, Beatrice probably only had the old patched one she had worn upon her arrival at the castle this morning.

But it was too late to leave now. He wouldn't be back in time, given he expected her to show up every moment. He could still offer her his cloak if she didn't bring hers. Kindness was not a concept he was especially familiar with, but he assumed that gesture would be accounted as such.

Tobias was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Beatrice's steps coming closer. She had to have sneaked up the stairs in perfect silence, almost as if she was used to hiding and trying not to draw attention to herself. That was how it came that they just both stood there quietly, suddenly face to face with each other without the observant eye of the queen and dozens of other onlookers.

Tobias didn't care about her rather used-looking clothes and her old cloak. He was simply glad that she had followed his invitation and come to meet him, and that he wouldn't be responsible for her catching a cold. Her smile and the spark in her eyes as she looked at him were all that mattered. She didn't need to wear one of the fancy dresses Shauna put the girls in for the balls at the queen's behest.

"Ehm... hello," she said after a few moments, and he realized he hadn't greeted her yet. Where were his manners?

"Hello Beatrice. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me."

Alright, that was a good start, wasn't it? But what now? Out of the ballroom, he felt hesitant to just reach for her hand. The formality of an official dance had given him confidence and provided safety. Taking her hand meant so much more now that it was just the two of them. He would offer her a glimpse of what he felt, and she had every freedom in the world to decline his touch. But she had come, hadn't she? Hopefully not only because he was the prince, and she felt obliged to follow his invitation.

"This place is very far from the rest of the castle," Beatrice stated, and he wondered why she would say this. She looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for an answer, even if she hadn't asked a question.

"Yes, I know. Maybe that is why it's one of my favorite places."

And maybe he had just shared more than he had meant to. Again.

To his surprise, she said, "I think I can understand that."

Before he could say anything else he didn't want to, he changed the topic. He pointed to the broken window to the North.

"From that window over there, you can see all the way to where Abnegation begins."

"Really?"

"Yes. I can show you. Come here."

And there he had found a reason to take her hand, without consciously planning it. He held out his palm for her, and she took it without hesitation. Her hand, small and warm, already felt familiar in his.

Tobias led Beatrice over to the other side of the tower, which was only a few steps across the room, dark except for the two burning torches on either side of the archway. There was a stone in front of the window which he guided Beatrice to stand on, so she would have a good view. The fields were covered in snow, and apart from the wind that caressed the treetops now and then with a soft rustle and swept the snow off them, the world was quiet and peaceful.

Just like this moment with her.

Tobias stood right next to her, close enough that their shoulders touched now that they were both the same height.

"Those huts in the distance... Do they belong to Abnegation already?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes. They are actually easier to see tonight against the white of the snow. And someone still keeps a fire burning. There, on the left. Can you see it?"

Beatrice just nodded. The view appeared to make her happy, at least until a particularly strong gust of wind made her shiver.

"Are you cold?" Tobias asked, a little worried. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

"Just a little. My cloak is alright, but I just didn't get much sleep these last weeks."

"Would you let me...?" he began and held out his right arm behind her.

She nodded, smiling up at him - a lovely, shy smile.

And so he put his arm around her shoulders and shuffled close to her side under his own cloak that he now shared with her. Ever so slightly, Beatrice tilted her head until it rested on his shoulder, as if it belonged there. Slowly, he laid his cheek on her head, and together they looked out into the night. It was the most comforting feeling, letting someone be this close to him and not feeling the urge to pull away.

On the contrary. He began tracing little patterns on Beatrice's shoulder where he held her, and when at one point her left hand travelled across his lower back until he was tucked safely to her side, he dared to turn towards her until he could hold her with both of his hands. She didn't hesitate to sling her other arm around him, too, and he knew that if he didn't kiss her now, he would regret it for the rest of his days. He leaned in slowly, giving her a chance to stop him if she didn't share the same desire, but she didn't interrupt him. No, she closed what little distance was left between them and pressed her lips to his. It was the softest touch he had ever experienced.

They started out gently, their wandering hands exploring each other. When that wasn't enough anymore, they pulled each other closer. No wind would have been able to blow between them anymore as they stood in a tight embrace underneath the red cloak that sheltered them both from the cold and the cruelties of the world, and opened their mouths to each other to deepen their kiss. Their broken breaths were carried away by the night, as were their doubts and fears. For some precious time, nothing else existed but them.

Beatrice tasted of hope and salvation, and the flame she lit in him was so strong that he wouldn't be able to extinguish it. Not now that he knew how it felt to kiss her, how it felt to _be kissed_ by her. She somehow was the only person who saw more in him than the cold-hearted prince that he was, the only one who was willing to give a piece of her to him and accept a piece of him in return.

* * *

However, at the other end of the castle, the queen had noticed the flicker of a flame on the highest tower. She knew the prince used to go there sometimes, but she was sure that tonight he wasn't there alone. She had eyes and ears, and she used them.

So she, too, saw more in Beatrice than just a girl from Abnegation. She was turning into a threat to her plans, but she wouldn't sanction it. She didn't even have to give it much thought. Her possibilities were endless, and she simply had to pick one that was promising.

Chances were high that Candor would be the girl's next task, so the queen stepped up to the respective bowl and spread her hands above it. She focused all thought and energy on her spell. It was hard, even for her, to keep up the concentration and power it required, even if it was a simple incantation. There wasn't much left of her magical powers, and she had to pace herself when it came to using magic. No more spring meant no more magical flowers, and thus no more magic. So far, she had refused to lay hands on her hidden reserve, and she hoped she wouldn't need to touch it until she held sway over the kingdom as its single ruler.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more fourtris for you.

Beatrice woke up when the morning was still far with a gasp. She sat up in her bed, breathing heavily and rubbing her clammy hands over her face. What initially had been the sweetest dream of herself and the prince had turned into a nightmare that had shaken her awake.

_They were in the ball room all alone, dancing in the middle of the dance floor to a song none of them was able to hear. It didn't matter as they swayed in their own rhythm and kissed in the semi-darkness that was lit only by a handful of candles on the empty tables around them. Tobias' soft lips melted against hers as she pulled him closer. But then the walls started to crumble around them until they collapsed, and they were surrounded by a large crowd of people staring at them and whispering to each other on the quiet._

_Suddenly the queen emerged from the crowd and, with a dapper wave of her hand, magically separated her and the prince. Then she passed her a sphere that contained her next task. _

_"But that's impossible," she protested, yet the queen only laughed at her. _

_"You either do that, or you'll never see the prince again. Choose. Choose between him and your parents. It's up to you."_

_"But my brother has already left them," she said. _

_"It's up to you. Then you'll fail."_

_And the crowd joined in, their voices closing in on her. _

_"Then you'll fail. You'll fail. Fail. Fail..."_

_Then all the people disappeared, including Tobias, who just shrugged and turned away from her, and all that was left was the voices. _

_"Fail. Fail. Fail."_

Beatrice desperately tried to remember what the assigned task had been, but she couldn't. The memories of the dream were too blurry, so all that was left from it was the despair and loneliness she had felt in it. Would she fail? How could she not? Her, Beatrice from Abnegation...

She looked over at Christina, who kept snoring peacefully in her bed. She had failed to complete the last task, but she didn't mind it much. Like she had said earlier, she was now going to be able to take the chance to reconcile with Will and live a happy life with him in Candor. She wouldn't have to complete any more tasks to make that true, whereas Beatrice didn't know what else she'd be facing. And this time, she'd be on her own. Sure, she would gladly take up on Christina's offer to go to Candor together and to stay with her family. But from then on out, she'd be in it alone. She had made sure to arrange another meeting with Marlene before their departure. She wanted to learn as much as possible if it helped to increase her chances at winning. Especially after last night...

Her determination was strong.

Slowly, her breathing went back to normal and the bitter aftertaste the dream had left vanished. In the need to occupy her hands and settle her thoughts, she fiddled for the Amity box in her bag. It was just within reach without having to actually get up. Her eyes grew wide as she found the fourth lock had opened. She squinted to be able to see the letters in the darkness: '_FRIEND' _

Beatrice traced the word with her fingertips before it disappeared almost as soon as it had written itself underneath the open lock. So she had shown love to a friend... Considering what had happened since the last time she had taken a look at the box back home in Abnegation, there could only really be two people who that word could refer to. It had to be either Christina or Tobias.

But was friendship what she had with the prince? It felt different, deeper than that, although she wouldn't go as far as to call it love. Not yet. Maybe, in the future... Maybe friendship was a normal step on the way when falling in love? She didn't know about such things. She had always assumed love would come with a bang. The realization that it might be a process was new to her, as were the questions, doubts and nerves that appeared along with it.

But also the butterflies... Oh, how lighthearted she had felt in Tobias arms on the tower. For the precious time she had spent in his embrace, she had been able to forget about the whole competition and gotten to live in the very moment. Of course, rational thought had returned later, but wow had those kisses felt amazing.

No, that was _definitely_ more than friendship. It had to be.

That brought her back to Christina. What had she done for her that could have affected the lock? It wasn't that difficult to think of something: It had to have been her attempt to let her pass the task along with herself. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked and the bowl had refused to reward them with two gemstones, yet it was the thought that had counted for the box, obviously.

Still, it was difficult to imagine doing things like hiking to the edge of the Dark Forest without anyone by her side. They had debated whether it was wise for her to team up with any of the other girls instead, but Christina had said that they might not have Beatrice's best interests at heart. They all strived to win the prince for themselves and they couldn't be fully trusted. For the start, she'd have Christina by her side in Candor though, or at least for part of that task.

Beatrice envied her for the deep slumber she was in and wished she had the same ability to tune out the real world. She would try, now, to fall asleep again for at least an hour or two to catch up with the sleep she'd missed during the week.

And though her mind was still caught between hopes and fears, between memories of the past and tentative dreams of a future by the prince's side, she fell asleep before the sun touched the horizon somewhere behind the clouds.

* * *

The prince was up early and climbed the tower once more to watch daylight taking over the night. He could hardly remember the last time he had watched the sunrise. Even with the sun hidden behind clouds, the light it emitted was still visible. Tobias admired how beautiful the landscape looked as it was slowly bathed in light that brought the colors to life and made the faint mist above the snow-patched grass glow. The whole atmosphere was so light and peaceful, and it impressed him how deeply it affected him. Although each day came with the break of dawn like this, he never valued it like he did now. A new day, a new beginning.

He hoped to see Beatrice again in the morning. He went down to wait for her near the hall the girls had breakfast in, hoping to be able to steal a few minutes with her when she came out. But he hadn't considered how exposed he would be to the other girls, and of course they all stopped to greet him and exchange a few pleasantries with him. He couldn't care less about them, knowing most of the nice things they said were probably lies that were supposed to impress him. He saw past those, not valuing any of them, and only answered in short sentences that he hoped would cause them to leave him alone again.

Unfortunately, he was surrounded by three girls when Beatrice came out of the breakfast hall. She wasn't alone either, her Candor friend - what was her name again? - and two girls from Dauntless accompanied her, which made it impossible for him to approach her. Nonetheless, his heart beat faster as soon as he saw her and their eyes caught each other's. He tried to communicate to her that he had thought of her, and only her, all night since their kisses on the tower, that she had followed him even in his dreams, but it was impossible to put all that into a single glance. He needed to catch her alone before she left.

Writing to her had worked yesterday, so he did it again. He scribbled a short note and folded the paper to fit into his palm and then went to find Shauna. She was Zeke's fiancée, and although he wasn't very close to her, he trusted her to keep the necessary quiet about his request to pass on the note. He assumed Zeke kept her informed about what was going on in the castle anyway.

He waited for Beatrice on the balcony they had already spent time together the week before, wondering if she'd come. What if she had changed her mind and realized he was not the kind of person she wanted by her side?

Just when he thought she wouldn't show up anymore, she was suddenly beside him. It was too dangerous to get closer to her than what the rules of decency allowed, especially in broad daylight and with a lot of people walking around in the castle. He still was happy to see her and relieved that she had followed his invitation to meet him here, even if they only had little time to share before he had to go down to the patio. Jeanine had ordered him to be there and oversee the girls picking their new tasks because she was busy with something. She wouldn't say what it was, though, that she was doing, like she never did. Usually, he couldn't care less what she was up to, but somehow an unknown uneasiness had taken hold inside his stomach.

"Look, Beatrice, I just wanted to see you once more before you go," he began. "I wish you didn't have to leave."

"I'm afraid I have no choice."

"I know. I didn't want to make you feel guilty. I just... I wish you all the best for your task and I hope to dance with you again next Saturday."

"It would be an honor."

They exchanged a smile that also held a promise.

"Are you still planning to go to Candor?"

"Yes, it's the best option I have. I can count on Christina's support there as far as she's allowed. I can't tell her about the actual task, but I can ask her for directions and stay with her family."

"I hope you'll make it back safely."

"Candor isn't that dangerous, I think. Difficult maybe, but not dangerous. Or so I hope."

"You're right. I'll try not to worry, but I'll count the days until you return."

"I will, too. I'll be back, I promise. I'm in this for you now."

His gaze rested on her lips. He wished he could kiss her goodbye and hold her one last time before she had to leave. But perhaps he could.

"Come," he said, offering her his hand, but then took it away as he remembered they were still out in the open for passers-by to see.

He led her inside and down a flight of stairs, in the direction of the patio, but along a corridor that was less frequently used. He pushed open a door to the right and gestured for Beatrice to go through it before him.

It led into a storeroom where spare tableware and napery were kept on wooden shelves. It was dark and a little stuffy in there, but it provided the privacy he was craving. As soon as the door fell shut behind him, Beatrice had already flung her arms around his neck and was kissing him. It was a pleasant surprise to have her this close again this fast, and he responded eagerly to her kiss. Warmth flooded him as he stumbled backwards against the door and pulled her with him, the imminent separation and lack of time leading to an urgency their kisses and touches had not had the night before.

He ran his fingers up and down her back and sides and tangled his fingers in her hair, trying to memorize the feel and shape of her until she would be back.

* * *

Tobias still felt the taste of her lips as he stood in the patio and watched girl after girl pick a sphere from one of the five bowls. Beatrice lingered in the background until it was her turn. She wasn't the last to go, but there were not many left when she stepped in front of the Candor bowl to receive her next task.

He watched her unfold the piece of parchment that the sphere set free for her. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment after she had read what it said, then opened them in conviction. That had to mean it was manageable, hadn't it? He longed to know what it was that the tiny letters told her to do. He knew she couldn't tell him, knew she had no choice but to go now, although he wished it wasn't so.

Their eyes met one last time, and then she turned around. Walking away towards the archway that marked the beginning of the path leading down from the castle, her hand skimmed along the wall. He couldn't say what it was about that movement, but it was odd. Was she giving him a sign? And if so, what did it mean?

Tobias waited until the last girl had gone and he was alone in the patio. He looked around twice to make sure he wasn't being watched before he approached the wall Beatrice had traced and looked closely. What was it that she had wanted to let him know?

Sure enough, in a gap between two stones, he spotted something yellowish. The parchment! It had to be! He snuck in two fingers and fumbled to reach it and pull it out. Now he would know what she'd be up to this week. Curiously, he unfolded it and read:

_'Bring a flask of water from the Fountain of Truth.'_


	22. Chapter 22

"Can't you tell me anything about your task?" Christina asked for the third time since they'd left the castle, and this time Beatrice nodded.

"I think it isn't against the rules if I ask you a question about your province, so there's something you could really help me with."

Christina clapped her hands excitedly, and Beatrice had to smile at her friend's enthusiasm. It was all over her, from the bounce in her step to the curiosity in her eyes.

"Go ahead, I will gladly answer if I can."

"Right. So, do you happen to know where the fountain of truth is?"

"Oh."

Beatrice realized that it wasn't necessarily a good thing that Christina's emotions were so often obvious to anyone close to her. Her frown and her sudden silence didn't indicate good news.

"What is it?" she probed.

"I don't know if it still exists."

"What? What do you mean? Christina, please, don't make me worm it all out of you, you scare me."

"Since when are you this impatient?"

"Since when do you avoid telling me the truth?"

"I'm not avoiding it. You will get it out of me anyway, and I do want to help you. It's just... The fountain is very old, it already existed before the first people came to settle the area. I have only been there once, when I turned twelve. That's the age that we're supposed to go there with a jug to bring back some water to our house. Anyway, when I was there, it was pretty much frozen already. I remember that it took me a long time to fill my jug, and it wasn't a big one. I think it's possible that it has frozen completely over the last years. I've heard people say it's useless to go there any longer, and they stopped sending their children or anyone else to visit it. My sister never went there either."

"But sure the queen wouldn't give me a task that's impossible to fulfill, would she?"

"To be honest, I wouldn't put it past her."

"True."

They walked along the cobbled road that led the way to Candor, and Beatrice thought about what she had to do. She wasn't allowed to tell Christina about it. She wasn't sure how and if the queen would know if she broke that rule, but she didn't want to push her luck if she could avoid it. She had already bent the rules by leaving the parchment in the castle. She assumed it was safe, though, because there hadn't been a consequence for showing the Abnegation task to her mother either. After a while, when she had sorted her thoughts, she resumed the conversation.

"So, for argument's sake, let's pretend the fountain still exists. What else can you tell me about it? Where is it, and how do I get there?"

"We have a big lake in Candor, you surely have heard about it. It's called Crystal Lake because its waters once were so clear you could see deep down to the ground. It's frozen now, you can walk on it. I cross it regularly to get to the village on the other side from ours, it's the shortest way. There's a rivulet leading away from it. You can follow it all the way up to the fountain. The water there is the purest, and only that water will suffice."

"But then I know where to look for the fountain, and when I get there, I'll see what I can do about my task."

"Wait, it's not as easy as it sounds. First, you need permission to go there at all. For that, you have to go to the library. It's on the border to Erudite, we share it with them. You'll visit the Candor half of it and talk to Jack. His family has been guarding the place for generations. He has to give you his blessings and only then are you allowed to visit the fountain. It's a sacred place for us, you know? You go to the lake first and have to find the mouth of the rivulet there. When you follow the stream upwards, you're not allowed to talk. Do you understand? Absolute silence, or the water will disappear from view. You'll just see a path that leads you back down to the lake. Once you get to the fountain and it is not frozen, you can do whatever you need to do there, and when you're done you'll be back soon."

"That's a lot to think about..."

Beatrice tried to store the information in her head, so she wouldn't forget anything, and she wondered how anyone was supposed to complete this task without the help of a Candor friend. Perhaps that was the whole point. She should have known better than to think it was an easy undertaking. Amity had seemed easy, too, but only at first glance. She still had only managed to fulfill half of the task. And Abnegation hadn't been about what it had seemed it was. She'd have to be smarter from now on, and look for help if she could get any.

"I can tell you where to find the library, it's not exactly around the corner, though. You'll need almost a day to go there and back. Jack is a little strange, I guess living away from each and every one does things to you... But he's fair. Just don't lie to him."

"I'll keep that in mind. At least, the walking-in-silence part will be easier."

"For you! For me, it was very difficult. I had to constantly remind myself to keep my mouth shut."

"I can imagine," Beatrice laughed and bumped Christina's side amicably.

"Hey, we all struggle with _something_," her friend replied, smiling. "But I believe in you. If anyone's going to make it, it's you. By the way, you've learned those moves from Marlene _fast_, girl. You should think about changing your name into something more... combative."

"Christina," Beatrice shook her head in embarrassment about the compliment. "We're not at war."

"Are we not? Aren't you _fighting_ for the heart of his Majesty Prince Tobias?" Christina teased.

"Alright, alright, I am. So, what do you suggest?"

"Something short and impressive."

"You called me Tris once, remember? In Abnegation, on our way to the Dark Forest."

"Oh, I thought you didn't hear that."

"I heard it. I was just distracted at that moment."

"That's why you later got your gemstone and I didn't."

"Are you angry about that?"

"No, not really. I mean, you did try to share your stone with me. What more could I have asked of you? And now I get to see Will again, probably tomorrow. I hope he still wants to talk to me."

"From what you've told me about him, he'll be willing to listen. It's the least he will do."

"You sure sound like more like a Tris than a Beatrice these days, you know?"

"So - Tris... I like the sound of it."

It was a perfect choice. It still held a connection to her given name, yet also sounded strong and confident, like the name of the person she wanted to become, and maybe it would help her embrace who she was apart from the Abnegation girl that she had tried, and often struggled, to be all her life.

* * *

Tobias couldn't believe how time slowed down when Beatrice wasn't around. He felt restless from the moment she had left, and he had a hard time trying to keep himself occupied. Since it was Sunday, there wasn't much to do. He walked up the stairs to the tower, again, after lunch, to see if he could still catch a glimpse of her, but the fog made it impossible to see far. He sighed as he leaned at the side of the window and looked to the West, were the sun was going to set in a few hours. Hours that seemed so long.

What did he usually do on Sundays? Or any other days? It was hard to believe that he spent most of his days doing nothing, wasting time that he hadn't asked for. But that was changing now, and it unsettled him. Why did he never question his way of life before? He had just taken it all for granted, the way he was forced to live, the way he had chosen to live because he hadn't wanted anything out of his life. It had just been an empty, meaningless existence.

Nervousness overcame him with the notion that he had gone about his life all wrong, and that he never wanted to go back to the indifference that had filled his heart before. But all those new emotions and yearnings were a lot to deal with. He had to do something, and now!

He went to look for Zeke, but he couldn't find him. It was his day off, and he remembered that he spent those with Shauna if he could, not with him. A dark thought occurred as he thought about it: Would Zeke ever care about him if he wasn't the prince, if he didn't get paid for being his guard?

With bitterness, Tobias realized that he didn't even know where Shauna's chamber was, although she'd been working at the castle for several years now. She had still been half a child when she had first begun. He had never bothered to ask her why she had to leave her family to look for work when she was barely older than him.

What was going on with him? Since when was he so self-critical? He had to turn off his thoughts. The castle suddenly felt like a prison to him that he hadn't left in years. What did he know about the kingdom he was supposed to rule soon?

He sneaked out of the castle that night, even out of the castle grounds, just to run. He ran until his legs started to shake from the effort and his lungs burnt from the cold, but the taste of freedom was worth every bit of pain. Why had he never done this?

Lying in his bed later, his mind finally found peace, at least for the moment.

* * *

After a night outside in their tent, Tris was glad when they finally reached Christina's home the following afternoon. She was nervous at first, intimidated by the conversation that was a rapid back and forth she wasn't used to. She cringed more than once, when Christina or her sister Rose said something that would be considered blunt in Abnegation, but turned it into a challenge to hide her discomfort with the displayed honesty. She had to get used to it, the sooner the better.

She was Tris now, so she had to behave like her.


	23. Chapter 23

Tris left for the library early in the morning. Christina had gotten up to have breakfast with her and give her directions. It wasn't that hard to memorize them. Most of the time, she had to follow the same street. There were also signs leading the way in crossroads, since it was not a secret place she planned to visit. It was simply far off from the main villages in Candor and there weren't many reasons to go there these days.

Christina's family though had refused to get up this early. Tris had been afraid that they might not like her and wanted to avoid spending time with her, but her friend reassured her that they just enjoyed sleeping in. Tris tried to believe her. It was hard to place people's behavior at times. So much of it was shaped by the province they lived in, and once again she wondered how much of herself was covered beneath Abnegation rules.

She had plenty of time to dwell on this question during the hours it took to reach the library. The landscape didn't change much once she had passed through another two small villages close to the one Christina lived in. It mostly consisted of grassy hills and a few scattered trees here and there. The forests she passed were more or less little patches of trees and didn't have the same impressive atmosphere as the forests at home. People looked at her with open curiosity whenever she walked past a single farm or house beside the street. They didn't hesitate to ask her who she was and where she was going all alone on this cold day, and they kindly reassured her she was still on the right path to the library.

She would have known anyway, for at every crossroad she found a bunch of signposts that indicated the different directions. Candor people were organized, it appeared, and didn't like to be surprised.

It was good that Tris had been training so much since she'd joined the competition, or she probably wouldn't have reached her destination as fast as she did. She could make out the library from afar as soon as it showed up in the distance. It was a rectangular building that shimmered in the pale light. As she approached it, she found that it was entirely made of glass. The walls were nothing but giant windows from floor to ceiling, and even the roof was made of glass. Rows and rows of bookshelves lined the walls and a single glass table surrounded by a few chairs occupied the middle of the room that was visible from outside.

The door wasn't easy to make out, since it didn't look any different from the walls. Once Tris had found it, she knocked. Her heart beat fast as she waited for Jack to appear. Christina had renewed her warning not to lie to him, and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. How would he be able to tell if she did? Could he read minds?

A man about the age of her father opened the door. He was about a head taller than she was, with black hair and brown eyes that bore into hers. But he smiled at her, and that was what calmed her nerves.

"Hello Miss, I'm Jack, chief librarian of the Candor library. How can I help you?"

"Hello Jack. I'm... Tris Prior. I come to ask for permission to visit the Fountain of Truth."

"Come in, Tris. If that's your name? I noticed your hesitation."

Tris stepped inside and towards the glass table she had seen from outside.

"I only recently changed it. Originally, it's Beatrice, but it doesn't seem to fit me anymore."

"Ah, I see. The wish to do that is not uncommon, but only few really follow through on that wish. Names can shape how we and others perceive ourselves. There's a truth behind every name."

Jack drew a chair for her and then took a seat opposite her.

"So, Tris, tell me about yourself. What brings you here from Abnegation?"

Her clothes were still giving her away. She'd have to find new ones to blend in better.

"I left my family to sell goods in other provinces. My mother has been sick for a while now, and there's a medicine they sell in Erudite that helps her a lot. We need money to afford some. Then I heard the prince was looking for a wife, and decided to try my luck in the competition. I figured I could save my mother if I won."

"But the truth changed, didn't it? There's more to it now."

Tris shifted in her seat. It wasn't very comfortable, and the glass was cold even through her clothes.

"There is. I think I don't want to win just for the money that comes with it now, but for the prince."

She didn't want to explain any further, and thankfully her answer seemed to be enough for Jack. At least he didn't keep on about it. Instead, he nodded as if he had known what she would say all along. He intertwined his fingers on the table in front of him.

"So how does that competition lead you here, Tris?"

"I need to get a bottle of water from the Fountain of Truth to win this week's task. But I was told I needed your permission first."

"That's right. You have it."

"That's it? Just like that? I mean, thank you."

"I won't stop anyone in search of truth if they're serious about it. I will give you a map, because you can't find the rivulet that leads the way without it. Once you've found it, you follow it up to the fountain. But beware of words! We honor words in Candor, but sometimes to see the truth, you need silence. Don't talk until you've reached the fountain. It may be frozen, I honestly can't tell you. It's been a long time since anyone went there. It froze a few years ago, and people didn't want to make the long way for nothing after they had heard about that occurrence. In my opinion, they miss the point of going there, since the journey is a reward in its own."

Tris nodded as if she understood everything he was saying.

"I will try to bear all that in mind," she reassured Jack, and maybe herself, too.

"I'd be happy to welcome you back soon."

"Welcome me back?"

What did he mean?

"Oh, I assumed you'd want to see what the Book of the Future says about you. It is guarded here in the library. It's as old as time itself, and it contains predictions about the future of the kingdom. Or it used to. And whoever made the effort to visit the Fountain of Truth usually returned here with a vial of its water to read the predictions about their own future. There hasn't been anyone trying in years now."

"Wait, there's a book that predicts the future?"

"Yes and no. We ourselves are our future."

That was absolutely not an answer Tris was able to make use of, but she was too polite to ask further questions. Probably she'd get the same vague answers anyway. For someone honoring the truth as much as he claimed to, Jack had a talent to talk around it.

"So for that, I'd need a vial?" she inquired instead. She could still ask Christina if it was worth the effort coming here again. It was a long march after all.

"Yes. I'll give you one, then you can make your decision later."

"Yes, that would be very kind of you."

"Please wait here as I go and fetch your vial."

Jack stood and left, and Tris took her time to look around the room. It was an interesting building. The glass allowed for that much light to flood inside that it gave her the impression of being outside, except for the missing cold. She had been to the Erudite part of the library a few times, mostly with her mother, and it was so entirely different. It was only separated by a little forest that had been planted to grow into a border between both provinces, yet they had never bothered to make their way over to the Candor part. While the Erudite building was a construction without windows to block out every possible distraction, it was still open to the public, and on some days even to people not living in their province. It was a source of knowledge, and Tris knew that they guarded the kingdom's chronicles somewhere inside a specially secured vault. She had always been curious to take a glimpse at it, but it was impossible for an ordinary girl like her.

Jack returned quickly and handed her a crystal vial. Tris examined it against the light. It was a beautiful object, perfectly shaped and artfully engraved with a pair of scales. She stowed it safely away, along with the map that would show her the way to the fountain.

* * *

Tobias wiped the sweat from his forehead as he took off the metal helmet. He was exhausted, but fencing with Zeke had been absolutely worth it. He was totally out of practice, that much was obvious. Zeke had tried to cover it by not fighting with all the strength and power he had, but Tobias had noticed. He still appreciated his effort to not make him feel inferior. Neither of them would ever waste any words about it though.

Zeke poured them two glasses of water from a carafe that Shauna had brought them earlier and handed one over to the prince. Tobias emptied it fast. It ran down his dry throat and returned some of the energy he'd just lost.

"That was great," he said. "You'll have to train with me again. I want to get back in shape."

"As you wish," Zeke replied, running his hands through his messy hair. "I missed training with you."

"Me too. I just didn't know that I did."

It sounded strange, even to him, but it was true. How could he have forgotten how good it felt to push his physical boundaries? No matter how exhausting it was and how his muscles burnt, he felt alive.

"So, forgive my indecency, but may this have to do with a certain contestant?"

"You know it's an indecent question, you said it yourself," Tobias retorted, not sure if, and what, he wanted to share.

"You know about me and Shauna, too."

"Everyone knows about you. You're engaged."

"Fair point, but still... I get you don't want to tell me, or anyone for that matter, but I need to warn you."

With this, he had Tobias full attention. A warning about Beatrice? He clenched his fists and forced himself to listen.

"You might not want to hear this, please don't get angry at me, for I'm just the messenger. The queen... I know she's your stepmother and that makes her part of your family, but... I have a bad feeling about her. She's been keeping a close eye on you ever since this whole competition started, even before that. But now she has this calculating look in her eyes, as if Beatrice was a danger. She didn't take her eyes off you the last time you were dancing, and she muttered something under her breath that didn't seem to be a friendly salute to the both of you. It was creepy, to be honest. I know I'm not in the position to judge, but I thought you should know. Be careful, Tobias. If I were you, I wouldn't put unconditional trust in her."

Tobias' stomach twitched at hearing this. He had never liked Jeanine much, but he also hadn't regarded her as a potential danger to him. Not consciously, at least.

But unconsciously? Maybe, since this warning struck him like a confirmation of an inkling he'd been having about her.

"I appreciate the warning. I'll keep an eye on her intentions."

Oh, he would. He would have to pass on the warning to Beatrice, too. It would be something they'd have to talk about the next time they had a chance to sneak away on their own.

"Good. That's really all I'm asking for. Maybe I got the wrong impression, though... Anyway, that brings us to another question I've been wanting to ask: You and Beatrice, what's going on with the two of you? She's your favorite, isn't she? Do you want her to win?"

"I like to spend time with her," Tobias avoided a direct answer. He wasn't comfortable discussing his feelings with Zeke. "And I hope she'll be back safely by Saturday."

Zeke didn't say anything, he just smiled and nodded. His eyebrows shot up knowingly and Tobias knew he probably had it all figured out already anyway. Why did he even bother to ask?

"Have you kissed her already?"

"Ezekiel! That is not an appropriate question!" he said with as much authority he could muster.

"Easy, Majesty. You can tell me if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to play the Ezekiel-card on me. It's what my mother does when she wants to scold me."

"Then it about fits," Tobias stated dryly and added, "And I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm here to listen if you change your mind, just so you know. I like her, by the way. Shauna does, too. She's nice and down-to-earth, and she's got a kind heart. She found an injured dove in Abnegation and took charge of it. She asked Shauna to take care of it while she's away for the next task, because she was worried it would be too stressful for it to be carried around continuously. Shauna is now keeping the bird in a cage in her room and cockers it until its wing has healed."

"That sounds like the kind of thing Beatrice would do."

There was pride in Tobias' voice, although he wouldn't have been able to recognize it as such himself. Zeke, though, noticed and took it as a confirmation that there certainly was _something_ between the two of them.


	24. Chapter 24

By the time Tris returned to Christina's home, everyone was fast asleep. They had left the door open for her to come it, at least. Nonetheless, she felt like an intruder as she tiptoed inside and looked for some bread in the kitchen. She knew Christina's mother would probably be alright with this, but it still felt as if she was doing something forbidden. Yet her stomach was rumbling, and she wouldn't be able to fall asleep this hungry.

When she finally climbed into her makeshift bed on the floor beside Christina's, exhaustion took over fast. She had known she was tired before, but now that she got to rest and relax her aching legs, it washed over her like a giant wave she couldn't stop. She welcomed it, for it allowed her to fall asleep soon instead of spending half the night awake. Most of her nocturnal worrying turned out useless anyway.

Christina shook her awake the next morning.

"Tris, I think you have to get up. I let you sleep for a while, but if you want to make it to the fountain today, I'm afraid you have to get out of bed."

"I'm so tired," Tris mumbled, wishing she could at least stay in bed a little longer.

"I know you are, and it's not surprising after your trip to the library yesterday. You could still take a break today and go to the fountain tomorrow, though. In that case, you can sleep all day if you need to."

What? Sleep all day? She never did that, except when she was sick, and even then, it wasn't something she liked, for she knew there were others she burdened with having to take care of her or her chores.

"No, it's fine. I'll get up, just give me five more minutes, please," she sighed, knowing she didn't want to take a day off.

If she came across any kind of obstacle on her way to the fountain, she wanted to have as much time as possible to try again and complete the task. She explained it to Christina over breakfast. They could speak freely, since her mother and sister had already eaten and left the house.

"Fair point, and actually very smart of you. I admire how resolute you are. The last two weeks have been so draining and I'm so thankful I can rest now. I can't remember going to bed as early as I did yesterday," Christina said between spoons of oatmeal.

"I'd love to take a day off to rest, but I can do that when I'm done with this task. Or all of the remaining tasks. It's only three more weeks."

"Oh, so you're optimistic you'll make it to the final one and complete that, too?"

"I guess I do."

Tris was a little surprised that she unconsciously believed in herself like this. She hadn't at the beginning, but now that she knew what lay ahead of her if she won this competition, or rather _who _she could be with then, she had more reasons than ever to hold on to the idea of getting through this successfully.

"I'm going to spend the day with Will," Christina changed the topic.

"Are you? Again? That's a good sign, isn't it?"

"I hope. He didn't have much time yesterday, since he had to work. But today he can take the afternoon off, and we're going to the lake together. We'll have more time to talk today."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed."

"I'll keep mine crossed for you, too."

* * *

The lake lay calm and sheltered between snowy hills, its frozen surface reflecting the clouds in the sky like a giant dark mirror. It looked otherworldly and surreal, unlike any other landscape. The sheer size of it stretching out towards the horizon was impressive.

Tris took a moment to admire the beautiful scenery before she remembered that she had a task to fulfill. Tapping the bag she had slung across her shoulder to make sure she had everything she needed with her, she set a foot onto the ice. She knew it had been frozen for years now, but she still had the need to test it first. What if she accidentally stepped onto the one patch that wasn't frozen over enough to carry her weight? It was probably good that she was so thin, even if it was just for the psychological effect.

As soon as she noticed that the ice carried her, she slid onto it and slithered rather than walked over it. While she stumbled a little at first, she soon got the hang of how to move across the shiny surface. She got braver and faster, enjoying the freedom that expanded inside her. She spread her arms wide and imagined she was a bird that took flight over the world, able to soar above the impertinences and struggles of everyday life and look down at it from afar. With no obstacle in sight, Tris closed her eyes for a moment, envisioning what her life looked like from above, feeling nothing but the ice gliding away under her feet and the wind caressing her face. It was cold, but for once, she didn't mind.

There was peace in the lonely quiet surrounding her, for it didn't push her or ask her to do anything. She didn't have any need to fill it with words, and neither did she want to taint it with fears and concerns.

With reality tuned out like this, time lost its meaning, and it could have been either a minute or an hour that Tris had passed on the lake as she opened her eyes to see the mouth of a stream at the shore in front of her. She skidded to a halt, took out the map and unfolded it. All it showed her was an arrow pointing ahead.

Frowning, she tucked the map back into her bag and made her way over and carefully stepped onto the frozen grass at the shore. It wasn't covered in snow, but it scrunched under her feet. From now on, she knew she wouldn't be allowed to speak.

There was no real path beside the stream that she could walk on, but it was easy enough to trail along beside it. With concern, Tris kept looking for signs that it wasn't entirely frozen over, that somewhere beneath the ice was still water flowing towards the lake, but she couldn't make out any. She would have to see what the fountain looked like once she got there.

The further she walked, the smaller the stream became until it was a mere rivulet. Now the surroundings changed, for she had reached the foot of one of the hills after following the many bends through a never ending valley. The open landscape with its endless meadows turned into a forest. Tris was thankful that it wasn't as dark and scary as the one they'd walked through in Abnegation, but she had to think of what Christina had told her. The fountain lay close to the Candor part of the Dark Forest. Still, she hoped it wouldn't turn out as frightening as the one close to the wall. She shuddered as she remembered being lost in the dense fog, chill creeping underneath her clothes and fear clasping her throat.

No, she couldn't go there now. She'd have to ignore the memories and be stronger than them, before they grew stronger than her. So far, it was a light, friendly forest. She came across paw prints in the mud, and sometimes birds flew past her. It was oddly comforting, for it reassured her that she wasn't all alone out here. And like earlier when she was crossing the lake, her thoughts calmed down, and she lost count of the steps she was taking and the hours that passed.

Eventually, the terrain changed again and turned steeper. The vegetation was less dense as the ground turned stony. Behind a sharp bend, the rivulet was leading into a gorge. Tris gasped as she took in the powerful sight and bit her lip to not accidentally say anything to herself about how impressive it looked.

There was only a narrow path leading upwards between the frozen water and the solid rock on the right. As soon as Tris entered the gorge, the world turned darker around her, for less light reached the ground down here between the walls of rock. Again, she was thankful she was so thin, and also that she had started training regularly, as there were a few spots where she had to use her hands to climb over a fallen stone or to pull herself up on a rope that someone had tied to a branch high up above. The latter didn't look very trustworthy, weathered over the years, but luckily, it supported her weight as she clung to it as she overcame a ledge.

Someone else might have gotten discouraged, but not Tris. She didn't even need to spur herself on. She was so focused on what she wanted to accomplish that she _knew_ that the more difficult the path became, the closer she was to the fountain. So she welcomed every obstacle, ignored the pain in her muscles and enjoyed how clear and calm her mind was.

And then, suddenly, she was there. She could see where the water used to flow out between stones, right ahead of her, only a few more yards away. She needed to get there to examine it and see what she could do to unfreeze it. Or, if she was lucky, there was running water somewhere below the ice.

This last part was particularly difficult, since the path was carved into the side of the rock and rose up before it led down to the fountain, like a very adventurous narrow bridge. It would be no use trying to walk on the frozen rivulet instead, for it was too slippery. Out here all alone, she'd better not twist her ankles.

Tris set one foot in front of the other as she ascended on the rocky ledge. The path was as narrow as her forearm, which made it a slow climb. She had to stop to find good spots she could clutch to stop herself from falling. She looked down between her feet as she reached the highest point, which was a mistake. A few pebbles fell down from where she stood, demonstrating just how easily she could fall, too. With her eyes closed, she focused on her destination once more and forced her breathing to slow down. After that, it was easier to finish the last part of the hike.

She had made it! She swore to herself she wouldn't leave without the required water now. Not after getting this far.

She examined the ice and wondered if she could just chip off some of it. Did it matter that it was frozen? It was the same substance she was charged to get, so she could just put it into her bottle and the vial until it would thaw. Too bad she didn't have Al's pickaxe anymore. Looking around, she saw a broken branch lying beside the rock that had to have fallen down from one of the trees above. Tris hurried to pick it up and started to hit the ice with it, hoping to batter it into tiny pieces. It took an unusual effort to accomplish, and she knelt down to collect the shreds and fill them into the bottle she had brought just for this. To make sure that her plan was working, she tucked it beneath her coat, shivering as the cold glass made contact with her stomach. It felt much colder than the temperature of the air suggested, and that even though there were still two layers of fabric between the bottle and her skin.

How long would it take it to melt? Tris leaned with her back against the rock, trying to give her legs a short rest while she waited. She looked up and saw a flock of birds flying over the gorge up above. She couldn't make out which species they belonged to, since they looked completely black against the white sky. It was funny that from down here the clouds looked this white and soft, unusually so. Was it simply an illusion because of the darkness of the high walls or were they thinner here? If she squinted, she could almost imagine glimpsing the sun behind them.

Weirdly, she forgot the time again. The bottle had warmed enough to not feel uncomfortable to hold under her coat any longer, and she pulled it out to examine it. At least part of the ice should have melted to water by now.

But no. The ice was gone, sure, but it hadn't changed to water. The bottle was empty.

Tris had to bite her lip yet again to stop herself from shouting out loud. What had she done wrong? She had gotten permission to come here, had followed the path from the lake upwards, had climbed over rocks and fallen trees, and she hadn't spoken a single word since she had first set foot onto the shiny surface of the lake. And now, after all that, the reason why she couldn't fulfill her task should be that the fountain was frozen?

No, she refused to make peace with that. This was her one and only chance, she had to think of something else. There had to be a way to solve this problem, _there just had to_.

Tris leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to come up with an idea. But her mind was both racing and empty at the same time.

But sometimes, an idea strikes like lightning, sudden and bright.

Upon opening her eyes, Tris saw a glimpse of real sunlight behind the clouds high above. Sunlight... Warmth...

She hastily reached inside her bag, rummaged around in it. It had to be there, she wouldn't leave this behind anywhere. Her mother had given it to her, however Natalie could have known she would need it.

Triumphantly she pulled out the knife as if she'd already won the battle she was caught up in. She pulled off the leather shield and stared at the sharp blade. It was impressive, a powerful tool, sure, but she didn't need it to cut into anything. At least, not literally.

She polished the silver metal with her coat and then tried to angle it properly to try if her idea could work. Thankfully, miraculously even, the clouds broke open to reveal a patch of blue sky and sunlight. It streamed down onto her, fell onto her skin, her hand. That was where it touched her, but Tris wasn't interested in the warmth it gave to her skin. No, her eyes were glued to the blade that reflected the sun's rays directly towards the fountain, illuminating it with light. It took only seconds before its surface began to turn shiny and a drop of liquid ran down to the ground. It worked!

The ice melted away in no time, and water began to flow from the stone. It wasn't much, just a small trickle, but it was enough. She didn't need a stream.

Tris didn't dare to take the knife down out of fear the fountain might freeze over again immediately. With one hand, she reached for the bottle. It took some time, but she managed to fill it. Next, she filled Jack's little vial. She wasn't sure if she'd make use of his offer and return to the library, but she wanted to keep this option for the moment.

She put both vessels into her bag after checking twice that they were well closed, and the small bottle bumped against her drinking bottle. Should she maybe...?

It was a quick decision. She took it out and filled it just like she had the other two. This water was obviously considered precious, for whatever reasons, so maybe she could use it later in exchange for something else she'd desperately need in her next tasks.

The way back was much easier and shorter, or at least it felt as if it was. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the water was stowed away in her bag, that the task was almost fulfilled, or the knife she was now carrying proudly tied to her belt. She wished she could tell her mother how it had helped her, how thankful she was that she'd given it to her before she'd left. Or maybe it was the refreshed memory of how sunlight felt on her face, even if it had lasted for only a minute or two.

Tris reached the lake in no time. It looked even nicer now that she didn't have as many fears in her mind to smudge the view. It stretched in front of her, peaceful and quiet in the twilight. And now she'd be able to slither home to Christina, where food and a straw mattress awaited her, and where she would be able to finally share her success with someone. She was bursting to tell her that she had been successful.

But the moment she stepped on the ice and wanted to start crossing the lake, a hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her sideways with such force that she lost her balance, stumbled and fell.


	25. Chapter 25

The ice was as hard as stone, and Tris' palms burned as they slid over it as she tried to break her fall. It stopped her from more severe injuries, but her knees still hit the surface hard enough for her to cry out in pain. They would certainly bruise. But there was no time to worry about that now. She had to get out of this situation first.

She turned around quickly and was surprised to find that her attacker was a girl, tall and broad, her dark brown eyes staring at her menacingly, her face vaguely familiar. She didn't know what she could possibly have done to deserve to be looked at like this.

It was good that she had been training so regularly with both Marlene and Christina, as well as on her own, for she managed to get back up on her feet as soon as she was over the first shock. It didn't prove to be easy on the slippery ground, though.

"Who are you?" she gasped out as she stared right into the girl's hatred-filled eyes.

"Doesn't matter who I am. It's more important to ask me what I want," the girl snarled as she stepped threateningly close to her again. She was at least a head taller than her. It would be hard to tackle her down in a fight.

"So, what do you want?" Tris choked out, trying to play for time and think over her options to escape.

"The Water of Truth!"

Of course, another contestant! That's why she looked familiar. Tris wasn't sure about her name, was it Molly? She hadn't talked to her before. Now she instinctively turned sideways in an attempt to protect the bag slung across her body from the attacker.

"Go and get some yourself!"

"Why go through all this trouble when I can just take yours instead?"

Molly reached for the bag with an ugly laugh and pulled, hard, but Tris clung to it desperately. She wouldn't let go, not this easily. Not without a fight. There was too much at stake.

"No!" she shouted and wrapped her hands around Molly's wrists to pull her hands off her bag, but she held on stubbornly. Yet with Tris constantly moving and turning around, she didn't get her hands inside it either. That's why she tried to tackle Tris harder instead, wrapped her arms around her upper torso from the side and tried to make her fall.

Tris knew Molly was bigger and stronger than her, but she herself was more agile. For a moment, she pretended to surrender, and Molly's grip around her loosened a bit. She immediately used the opportunity to trip her up. The slick ice made it easier to do than if they'd stood on solid ground. But Tris hadn't calculated that Molly's arms were still close enough around her to pull her down, too.

Both girls slipped and toppled, and Molly huffed as she fell backwards onto the ice. It must have hurt her a lot more than Tris grazing off her palms' skin when she had first fallen. This time, she landed more or less on Molly herself, knocking the air out of the taller girl's lungs. She used the moment that Molly was gasping in pain and shock to roll off of her. She turned around and, with little hesitation, jumped at the chance to defeat Molly. She quickly slung a leg over her and swung herself up to straddle her. With her left hand she pinned Molly's right arm down against the ice and reached for the knife tied to her belt with her right.

Tris didn't want to hurt Molly with it, but she wanted, _needed_, to prove that she could if she had to, and this was probably the easiest way to get out of this fight quickly and without injuries. It seemed to be a language that the other girl understood, for she flinched as she saw the blade and stopped struggling as her eyes widened in surprise and fear.

"Please, don't stab me! All I wanted was a bit of the Water, please, don't hurt me."

"I won't stab you, but I won't give away what I rightfully own. You have no right to take it from me. What were you thinking to attack me this cowardly?"

Tris was breathing hard, anger and adrenaline raging through her, as well as a strange satisfaction that came with seeing the other girl's gaze jumping between her and the knife.

"I need to stay in the competition," Molly hissed.

"What makes you think that I don't?"

"Oh, come on, you're from Abnegation. You're supposed to be happy with what you have there. How on earth are you even threatening me? Isn't that against your province's rules?"

"You have the nerve to call me out on fighting against the rules? Really?" Tris couldn't believe how anyone could be this arrogant, and especially in the position she was in. "Too bad for you that we aren't in Abnegation right now and I've learned how to defend myself."

But then her anger subsided as she saw blood emerging from under Molly's head, slowly forming a dark red puddle on the dark blue ice. She hadn't noticed it before, with her focus solely being on how to get the situation under control, but now she pulled back in irritation. Her reflection flashed back at her from the silver blade for a second, and it made the rest of her anger vanish. This wasn't her, threatening someone with a knife, even with the training she'd been doing.

"You're bleeding," she stated matter-of-factly. "I'll get up now, but don't you dare attack me again, or I swear you'll regret it."

She felt only half the confidence she put into her words, but she figured it was worth it if it meant Molly wouldn't try anything again. But it didn't appear as if she'd be up to that anytime soon, for she sat up and carefully touched the back of her head, then stared at the blood on her fingers in surprise. The shock must have numbed the pain of the cut she had sustained upon falling.

Tris tucked the knife away, feeling safe enough, at least for now. She even rummaged in her bag and actually tore off another piece of fabric from her simple blanket that she then tied around Molly's head in her attempt to honor her mother's words. The bulky girl eyed her suspiciously, but didn't object.

"Can you get up?" Tris asked after she was done.

"I think so, yes."

Molly was a little pale, but it could also have been the contrast between her skin and her black clothes. She slowly slid backwards on the ice, not looking away from Tris, as if she expected her helping gesture to result in some kind of trap.

"Thanks," she muttered as she finally reached the shore and stepped onto the frozen grass. Then she turned around and marched off, and Tris stood still for a while and looked after her before she continued her own journey back to Christina's house. Her head was still spinning in the aftermath of the long day and especially the unexpected fight. When had the other girls begun to see her as competition and not just another participant? Was this what it would be like in the next two weeks during the last tasks? She'd have to start being more careful about whom she trusted. Not that it would have helped her today with Molly, since she couldn't remember having interacted with her at all.

Christina stared at her wide-eyed as she opened the door for her.

"What the everlasting winter happened to you?" she gasped.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Have you been in a fight? You look disheveled and your coat is wet and has a snag."

Tris raised her hands to comb her hair back. She hadn't bothered to redo her bun or check her general appearance after the encounter with Molly.

"Oh, and look at your hands! They're all bruised and grazed."

"I was attacked by a girl who's also in the competition. I think her name is Molly."

"You've been _what_?"

Christina took care of Tris and sat her onto the bench, then offered her some tea and stew while she asked her about what had happened. Tris felt so warm and comfortable now that she was back safely that she gladly told her friend everything. It was alleviating to have someone she could trust with all this, and she didn't mind the endless stream of questions directed at her for once. It was easier to just answer them than having to make the effort to sum it all up herself without forgetting anything. Also, it touched her how angry Christina was at Molly.

"I know her, she's from Candor as well. She's been mean all her life, she never hid her violent tendencies. She lives in a self-built hut beside the forest with her two brothers, their parents have been gone since literally forever. They have a few animals, a handful of goats and sheep, but it's common knowledge that they mistreat them and don't care for them well. My mother always told me to stay away from them when I was a child, and so did other parents. I can't believe she sunk that low now. What made her think she could get away with a robbery like that? No cheating, right? The queen stated it pretty clearly, and we saw what happened when we tried to put the stone into the bowl together, it didn't work. I don't even want to think about what she could have done to you if we hadn't started training as much as we do."

It wasn't easy to stop Christina's rant at some point to hear how her date with Will had gone, and that said something about how agitated she was. Under other circumstances, she wouldn't miss a chance to talk about him. But Tris insisted that she should tell her about their afternoon, and with every minute that Christina talked about Will she calmed down and a different kind of excitement took over. They wanted to try again, slowly, and it made Christina's whole face light up. Tris was happy for her. It was obvious he meant a lot to her, and apparently she to him. Would it be the same for her and Tobias one day soon?

It wasn't until later that night, when she unpacked her bag to check if everything was still there and intact, especially the bottles and the vial, that she burst out laughing at something else she discovered.

"What is it? Are you going crazy now from exhaustion?" Christina asked dryly. She couldn't entirely hide her curiosity, though.

"It's the box. Another lock has opened."

"What? How so?"

"This is kind of ironic, but it says _'enemy'._ Seems like Molly unintentionally helped me with this one."

* * *

It was a gray morning that Tobias had woken up to, and his visit to his father didn't make it any less dull. On the contrary, the king lay in his bed as always, but he looked paler than usual, and he was barely conscious even in the moments he was awake. He gazed at the ceiling out of his tired eyes, and only he knew what he was seeing there, before he dozed off again.

Tobias sat beside the bed and waited for him to wake up properly, but he never really did. He reacted neither when he said his name or talked to him nor when he squeezed his hand or shook his shoulder. His apathy was alarming. While he had been weak and unable to leave his bed for a while now, he had rarely been this far away.

Yes, there was no way of denying that the king's health was in poor state. Tobias would have to ask Jeanine about consulting the doctor from Erudite again. The last time he'd been here, he had given Marcus some medicine that had allowed him to get out of bed for a few days, although he had still been too fragile to see about his royal duties. Part of the problem was that it still wasn't clear what caused his symptoms other than his age, and he wasn't _that_ old. The current diagnosis was that he was anemic, but strangely the prescribed medicine couldn't cure him. It only ever got better for a short period of time, and then it usually got worse than before.

Tobias wished Beatrice was here to brighten up his days. Every day seemed twice as long in her absence as he was waiting for her return. He hated that he had no way of knowing if she was safe and how she managed to deal with the task, but most of all he hated that he was tied to the castle, unable to help her while she was out there facing the dangers of this kingdom.

He wanted to tell her about the dove and how it was slowly healing and getting better from day to day. She'd be so happy about it, he was sure. Maybe they could take her outside together to try if she was able to fly again.

He also needed to talk to her about Jeanine and warn her, like Zeke had warned him. He had kept a close eye on her since their conversation, trying to find something obviously suspicious in her behavior. Yet, that was difficult to do, since she stayed by herself most of the time, and he had no idea what she was up to. But the seed of doubt Zeke had planted in him had taken roots in his thoughts.

Marcus elicited a little sigh and turned his head to the side, which interrupted the prince's thoughts. He reached for his fathers shoulder again, but he was still asleep. Tobias decided that it was no use sitting here waiting for him to wake up any time soon. He'd rather go looking for Zeke and ask him for a training session. It had quickly become a habit now for the two of them to exercise together.

As he stood and went out the door, he met Jeanine on her way inside with a plate of food for Marcus.

"He probably won't eat today, he barely even wakes up," he told her.

"Oh, is he that bad today? Well, I'll wait for him to wake up anyway and pour some soup down his throat once he does."

With that, she swept past him and closed the door to the king's chamber. Tobias could only shake his head about her attempt to feed his father. She'd need all day to succeed. At least, that meant he knew where she was and wouldn't interrupt his training.

Walking around the corner, he kicked against an object on the floor that slid over the stones with a tinkling sound. Curiously, he bent down to pick it up and examined it. It was a small vial, made of pale blue glass. It was empty except for a few drops of a transparent substance running down the sides. He carefully brought his nose above the opening, but he couldn't smell anything. What was it and how did it get here?


	26. Chapter 26

If Tris had one trait that wasn't honored at all in Abnegation, it was stubbornness. It was frowned upon there, where a girl was expected to be calm and polite and as busy as a bee, where parents complimented each other on how well-behaved and selfless their daughters were, and where the proclaimed educational goal was to blend in with society and not call attention to oneself. Yet in a kingdom-wide competition, it was a treasure to possess, one that couldn't be seen at first glance and that was impossible to be snatched away in an inattentive moment due to the sheer nature of said feature.

That was why Tris found herself knocking on the glass door of the Candor library again the next day. She had refused to take a day to rest, for her mind had already moved on from the attack, though her body had not. While the side of her face was bruised, her knees hurt with every step and her left ankle was bandaged, her spirits were still high. She had made it this far, now she wouldn't let the opportunity slip to find out what Jack had meant when he had told her about the Book of the Future. It could only be useful to know what was going to happen next in her life, couldn't it?

Jack didn't seem to be surprised by her reappearance.

"I assume you're here because you want to take a glimpse at your future?" he said as he let her inside.

"Yes, if that's possible."

"We can try. You have to know that there hasn't been an accurate prediction about the kingdom as a whole in a while now, since winter came to be precise. The first pages that used to contain these predictions have disappeared. However, personal predictions still used to work the last times people came to collect them," Jack explained as he led Tris into another part of the library she hadn't visited the last time, through several glass doors and along corridors lined with shelves. He stopped as they reached a flight of stairs that led below the library.

"Are you certain you want to know your future? It can be difficult knowledge to deal with."

"Yes, I do."

"Good, then follow me, please."

Tris was nervous as she carefully followed Jack down the uneven steps into a labyrinth of corridors carved into the stone. The contrast to the light-flooded upper part of the library was striking. The darkness that was only challenged by the torch Jack carried and the musty air added to the mysterious atmosphere of the place. Tris had no idea how Jack still knew where they were going, since all the corridors looked the same to her. But not to him, apparently. He never hesitated when they reached a bifurcation or an intersection with even more pathways that led them deeper into this branched underground system. If she lost him now, she'd never be able to get out of here again, she thought with a shiver.

Finally, they walked down a corridor that ended at a wooden door. It looked old, yet indestructible. This had to be their destination. Jack turned around.

"Do you have your vial?"

Tris nodded and fished it out of her pocket to show him.

"Good. Now give three drops onto the doorknob, put your hand on it and say your name. But three drops only, remember? You'll need the rest for the book."

"Alright."

At least, this was easy. Tris did as she was told. As soon as the words _'Tris Prior'_ had left her lips, the door started to vibrate and the knob turned of its own accord before the heavy door opened just a tiny crack. Hesitantly, Tris pushed it open further. She looked back at Jack over her shoulder, and he signalled for her to go ahead.

The door led into a vaulted cellar, the ceiling forming a large arch and giving the impression that the place was more spacious than it actually was. The cellar was empty except for a wooden table, edge and legs artfully carved, that stood close to the opposite wall. There were only two things on top of it: a book and a candelabra.

Jack lighted the three black candle stumps, and only then could Tris see that the wax was white on the inside. _Candor candles_, she thought.

After Jack had blown out the torch, he walked around the table to stand opposite Tris.

"For you to read the prediction about yourself, you'll have to sprinkle the rest of the Water of Truth from your vial on the pages once I've opened the book. It'll then reveal what is known about your future. So, are you ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be."

Jack pulled a small golden key somewhere out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock. He turned it sideways until the little lock clicked with an elegant sound. He then carefully opened the book. Tris stared at the empty pages that once must have contained words about the kingdom, predictions that had gone missing along with the sun. She had no idea how Jack knew which page he had to turn to, but eventually he took his hands away and looked at her expectantly. This had to be the moment in which she had to take action.

With shaky hands, she emptied the Water of Truth onto the pages. It was against all the rules she had grown up with when it came to books. They were precious and expensive and had to be treated accordingly. Never in her life had she done anything to harm one, yet alone willingly. But here she was, sprinkling liquid over a book that looked as old as time. It hurt her to see the water soak the yellowish paper, but then, suddenly, it was absorbed and the stains melted away. For a moment, nothing happened, but then Tris gasped as the pages began to turn themselves, as if looking for a page that only the book itself knew where to find. It was fascinating to watch, the rustling of paper filling the cellar and echoing from walls, floor and ceiling alike.

And then it stopped.

Tris read her very own name at the top of the page, written in neat black letters.

But beneath her name was a conglomeration of single letters in equally artful handwriting, yet none of them was connected to another. Each one occupied its own space on the paper without being part of a word, let alone a sentence. None of it was readable, no matter how hard Tris tried to find a way to make sense of them. Was it a riddle, designed especially for her to solve? All she saw remained the pretty letters randomly scattered all over the page.

As she looked up at Jack, she literally jumped at finding him stare at her intently. She didn't know how long she had spent trying to find the message on her page and had momentarily forgotten that she wasn't alone.

"What does it mean?" she muttered quietly. Somehow, the place and the ancient book that rested open on the table between them made her wary of raising her voice. This cellar wasn't made for noise.

"I have seen empty pages and pages offering detailed predictions, but I've never seen _this_." Jack gestured to the open book in confusion. "I don't know what the book wants to tell you."

"So that's a bad thing?"

Tris was equally baffled. What was she supposed to make of this if even Jack, who so far had seemed both calm and wise, appeared to find this unsettling? Had she done anything wrong? Was it a bad omen? She alternately glanced between the book that remained unchanging and Jack, who was deep in thought. He had his eyes closed as if trying to remember something, and she didn't dare interrupt him.

When he finally reopened his eyes and met her gaze, he sighed.

"There's only one explanation I can come up with. My father told me this could happen, and he had heard it from his father. This", he indicated the book between them, "can only mean that your future is being rewritten."

Tris grasped the table for support as her knees turned weak.

"But what does that imply? For me, I mean?"

"It means that something in your life has changed, or rather, _is changing_. Something that changes the way your life goes into a thoroughly different direction. That rarely happens, because we are all creatures of habit. Change,_ real_ change, is exhausting, and we usually make decisions in life that seem logical and comfortable for us. But that alone won't explain this messed up prediction. There has to be more to it. A lot of things have to be radically affecting your journey through life at the same time to confuse the Book of the Future like this. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't tell you what to do with that. It's your decision alone. The truth lies within yourself."

Tris' head was spinning as she stared back down at the letters that were supposed to tell her what life had in store for her, or at least offer some kind of advice. Instead, this was what she got. More confusion. What was _wrong_ with her?

"What if I come back later, will it be able to tell me more then?"

It was the last hope she had for this to turn into something good, to get out of this like anyone else, to be normal. It was deeply unnerving to find that her future could go any direction from here.

"That won't be possible. Everyone can only consult the book once. Otherwise, people might become obsessed with it and forget to live their life the way they're supposed to. But what I can do is make an exception and give you the letters to take with you. Maybe one day they'll make sense. And even if they don't, let them be your reminder that not everything in life is predictable."

"Excuse me, Jack, but I don't understand. How can I take letters with me?"

"Do you have some paper in your bag? It doesn't have to be a whole role of parchment, just enough for all the letters to fit on."

"No, I don't have... no, wait. I do have something."

Finally, breaking out of her state of shock, Tris knelt down with the bag in front of her and started looking for the small present that her father had given her right before she had left Abnegation. She hadn't used it since, had even wondered if she'd ever need it or if it was just more useless weight she had to carry around with her. But since it was a present, she hadn't had the heart to sell it.

"Here, I've got this. It's small, but it has a lot of pages," she said and offered Jack the simple notebook with the pressed leaf on the binding.

"I think that will do. And it is yours, right? You didn't borrow it from anyone?"

"My father gave it to me, as a present. I doubt he expects me to return it unused."

"Good. Now, please open it and hold it close to the bottom of the Book of the Future."

"How do I know which page to open?"

"Any page you feel is right will be right."

Tris closed her eyes and ran her thumb over the side of the book. How would she know? What did feel right? If she was honest, and that was what Candor were all about, weren't they, none of this felt right. But it didn't feel wrong either. It was just weird. Yes, _weird_. And maybe, it wasn't even important which page she chose. Maybe it was all random. Her life, her home, the competition, her feelings for Tobias. Did any of it make sense?

She pushed her thumb between two pages and opened the notebook, then held it below the bigger book resting on the table. Jack reached for the Book of the Future and lifted it. The bottom of its pages touched the top of Tris' notebook, and as he shook it, the letters started to shake. Tris stared at them, mesmerized, as they started to move down the page and fell down the spine of the book and into hers like sand in an hourglass. She couldn't take her eyes away until all the letters had found a new place in a new book. They still didn't form even a single word, but they were _hers_ to keep now. Strangely, it _did_ make her feel better about it all.

Jack put the big book down, closed and locked it. Then he lit the torch again and blew out the candles.

"I guess we're done here. Let's go upstairs."

He didn't need to encourage Tris to leave. She was craving to be back in the daylight again, even if it was dull. As they left the cellar, she spotted a second wooden door at her left that she hadn't noticed earlier.

"Where does this door lead?" she asked.

"Ah, that one leads to a similar cellar that looks exactly like the one we've just been in. The only difference is it guards another book. Surely you must have heard of the Book of Laws?"

"Yes, sure. It contains all the rules and laws that the kingdom is based on as a whole, and also special rules for each province."

Its existence was no secret, although it wasn't actively used. There were partial copies of it in the Erudite library, but they were placed in the section that only people from Erudite could consult.

"Well, we guard the original book here. The Erudite envy us for it. Anyway, we can open it, but we can't change it. The rules are the rules."

Tris thought about that as she followed Jack through the seemingly endless labyrinth that led them back to the flight of stairs. The sky seemed brighter as she looked up out of the darkness.

"This is usually the part where I say something about bringing the truth to light, but in this case, it doesn't really fit," Jack stated somewhat dryly as he began to ascend the stairs.


	27. Chapter 27

Tobias was annoyed. He had been looking forward to this day all week, had been counting down the days until Beatrice's return, only to find himself constantly being watched by Jeanine. She hadn't let him out of her sight since breakfast and insisted that he should join her in the front court to welcome the returning contestants. It made him wonder what had changed since last Saturday, when he had been able to secretly watch from inside.

But there was no use in objecting against her will. The few times he had tried during the years she'd been married to his father had never worked. She had always found a way to make him follow her commands, regardless of his own volition. There was just something about her that made him unable to ignore her commands.

That had led to him sitting in a wooden chair with a high back next to the queen. Every time he heard footsteps drawing closer from outside the gate, he looked up, hoping to see Beatrice, but so far, it had never been her. Some girls grabbed a gemstone out of one of the bowls and proudly attached it to their belts that showed their progress in the competition. Others received a piece of charcoal and Jeanine sent them right back down the path they'd walked here. And then there were the ones that stepped in front of the Amity bowl and got nothing, but were still allowed inside the castle. What was it about the Amity task that made it different from those in the other provinces?

Tobias put up a mask of indifference and arrogance, so that neither the queen nor anyone else would be able to read his emotions. All his excitement, his anxiety, his nervousness was hidden behind it, and it seemed to be working. In fact, the way that most girls looked at Jeanine's reaction and her approval before they even turned their attention to him was probably telling of how he usually came across as cold and inapproachable. What if that was still who he was, and what he felt for Beatrice was nothing but an illusion? What if he was lying to himself about her all the time, so desperate to feel anything again that his brain made it all up?

But that couldn't be true, could it? It seemed so real, and the way his heart sped up when she finally appeared in the archway that led to the patio, his doubts about the genuineness of his feelings vanished. He couldn't think of anyone else that ever had affected him like she did, and if he hadn't been pretending not to care all morning, he was sure his features would have slipped. But as it was, everything he did was clench his teeth harder to prevent any emotion from crossing his face and just stared at Beatrice like he had stared at all the others.

She looked pale and tired, and a bruise was visible on the left side of her face. What had happened to her?

She didn't look at him as she stepped in front of the Candor bowl, pulled a bottle out of her pocket and exchanged it for a purple gemstone that she put on her belt. Only after that, when she turned around, did their eyes briefly meet. But there was no sign of affection in hers, not even one of recognition, nothing.

Technically, Tobias knew that she was probably just as good at acting as he was, maybe even better than him, because for a second, the corner of his mouth had definitely twitched upwards without his permission. Still, it left him uneasy and nervous, and he had no choice but to stay outside with the queen, when all he yearned for on the inside was to follow Beatrice and ask her if they were alright. He would do that as soon as Jeanine would release him from her grasp.

But she never did. It was early afternoon by the time all girls had returned, and probably more than half of them had left again due to failing their task. Tobias was anything but sorry for them, as it only meant less competition for Beatrice. There were only around twenty girls left now, and one hadn't even made her way back to the castle at all. If he had been a better man, he'd have asked himself if she was alright, if she needed help of any kind, but he supposed he wasn't.

Right after lunch, which they had had later than usual anyway, Jeanine made him come to visit Marcus with her. The doctor she had sent for had arrived the day before and was still trying to figure out what was wrong with the king. He had asked them to spend at least an hour a day by his side, cause it might help him to recover, even if he was sleeping and didn't visibly take notice of their presence. Tobias would have preferred to spend said hour alone with his father, but Jeanine insisted they'd go together.

After that, when he thought he was free to go to look for Beatrice, she ordered him to come down with her into the throne room.

"But the ball is not supposed to start until in a few hours, what do you want to do there?" Tobias asked while secretly cursing inside. Was she keeping him busy on purpose? He had been suspicious about her ever since Zeke had warned him and he'd found the mysterious vial.

"Don't you talk to me like that! I say you come down there with me, and that's what you'll do. Besides, this concerns you, too. I have to interrogate one of the contestants about the girl that went missing. I sent Shauna to bring her to the throne room earlier."

Great, that was all he needed today. He was caught between anger and disappointment. There was only so little time he could potentially spend with Beatrice, and he hated that it got wasted like this. All he could hope for was for Jeanine to make it quick, or otherwise he'd have no opportunity to talk to Beatrice before the ball. He longed to see her, and maybe talking was not _all_ he had in mind when it came to her.

It was all the more surprising to find Beatrice being the girl that Jeanine wanted to interrogate. He looked up as he heard the high wooden door squeak open and watched her take in the palatial interior of the long room. She looked shy, intimidated even, as she slowly walked towards where he and Jeanine were sitting on their thrones. He couldn't blame her, for the whole room was designed to show the subjects their place in the kingdom, and that was below the royal family. He'd have preferred her sitting by his side as his equal instead of Jeanine.

Beatrice stopped as she reached the steps that led up to the pedestal the thrones were placed upon and made a curtsy.

"I've been told you wanted to see me, your Majesty," she said and somehow managed to look directly into Jeanine's eyes. It made Tobias oddly proud of her, which maybe was stupid, because the obstacles she faced in the competition were certainly harder to overcome than the queen's icy stare.

"That's true. There are a few questions I need to ask you. My son is only here as a witness, he won't ask you anything."

She said it to Beatrice, but it was obvious she adressed him, too. He wasn't supposed to talk to her. And now, surprise and pride made room for concern. What was Jeanine up to?

She stood and strode over to a table that was placed underneath one of the huge rectangular windows. He hadn't noticed that she had placed something there before. She uncorked a small bottle and poured water from it into a chalice that she offered Beatrice.

"Drink this. We don't want you to get a dry throat."

Beatrice eyed the chalice suspiciously and looked up at Tobias as if asking for help, or forgiveness, or support. Was he missing anything? She simply had to be nervous. He'd be nervous as well if the queen had ordered him here this formally to interrogate him. He nodded slightly towards her, hoping she'd feel the encouragement he wanted to give her. And so she drank.

Jeanine took the empty chalice from her and put it back onto the table, then ascended the steps to resume her place on the throne. Tobias only saw her move out of the corner of his eye, for his focus was on the girl that stood below him on the tiled floor. There was something about her eyes that was strange. Her pupils dilated and her gaze turned empty, as if there were clouds pushing their way into the space between them. It was unsettling to watch, but he couldn't look away either. Not until Jeanine began her interview.

"So, what's the name you go by?"

"Tris."

Wait, what? Since when was her name Tris? What about _Beatrice_? Had she lied to him about who she was right from the start?

"Which province did you go last week?"

"Candor."

"Interesting. Do you know you are the only one who managed to accomplish the task there?"

"No, I didn't know that."

"Now you do. Two girls failed while another never made it back to the castle. Did you meet any of them?"

"Only Molly."

"That's interesting, cause that's the one who went missing. Did you fight with her, yes or no?"

"Yes."

"Is that how you bruised your face?"

"Yes."

"How did you hurt Molly?"

"I made her trip on the ice, so she fell."

Tobias couldn't have interfered even if he had wanted to. He was stunned into silence by these new revelations. He would never have thought that Beatrice would go this far to win the competition. She looked as if she wanted to add something, but she seemed to choke on the words. Of course, who would like to admit to deliberately have hurt another person?

"Did you see Molly after that encounter?"

"No."

"And you were happy about that?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where she went or where she is now?"

"No, I have no idea."

"I see."

Jeanine took a break from questioning and got up. She gazed down at Beatrice — or was it Tris? — and slowly descended the stairs until she stood right in front of her. Tobias didn't want to witness more of this interrogation, yet he couldn't look away either.

"So one last question: Tell us in one word, what was your initial reason for joining this competition?"

"Money."

"Money - I see. Well, that's it, you can go."

Tobias' heart hurt as he understood that he had been mistaken assuming he knew who this girl was. She was like all the others. She had never been here for him. It had been for money. She was in no way better than those striving for the power that came with the position as his wife. How could he have been so blind not to see it?

And now she had the nerve to look at him apologetically after Jeanine had turned away from her. There was no way he'd fall for her charade again. She didn't say anything else, and she didn't have to. He wouldn't have wanted to hear it anyway. He had heard enough.

"You heard the queen. You can go."


End file.
